


Shifting Sands

by Browhal1



Category: Lego Ninjago
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Big Brother Kai (Ninjago), Desert Kingdom, Disney References, F/M, Living on the streets is not really safe, Shady Dealings, being an elemental master may or may not be a good thing, royal au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-22
Updated: 2021-03-11
Packaged: 2021-03-14 17:07:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 25,641
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28924056
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Browhal1/pseuds/Browhal1
Summary: The desert city of Oroborous is harsh and dry. Those qualities have spilled over into the residents who make the region their home. Kai scrounges day by day just to survive. Though he continues to hold out for the hope of a better life for his younger sister and brother, he can’t seem to catch a break. Yet one coincidental encounter with the beautiful Princess Skylor sets him on a path that, in one thousand and one nights, he would have never thought possible.
Relationships: Kai & Nya (Ninjago), Kai & Nya/Jay, Kai/Skylor (Ninjago), Nya/Jay Walker, Skylor & Chamille
Comments: 9
Kudos: 19





	1. Prologue (& Ch 1 New Morning, Old Problems)

**Author's Note:**

> There will be a hierarchy of elemental power, but other than the 4 elements of creation (which are still the highest) they're not important to know off the bat.

Two men sat in a dimly lit room looking over ancient scrolls. Both read silently, searching for cryptic answers recorded by generations past. The candles gradually burned low, but still they continued. Finally, in the early hours of the morning, one man let out a cry of triumph. He held up the scroll to his companion. 

“This confirms it! The eclipse is real and will happen. Soon.”

The other man frowned in concentration, years of planning flashed through his mind. “I don’t know if we’ll have everything ready in time. Several of the missing pieces still haven’t been located. It’s possible we’re already too late for the ones that haven’t been seen in decades.”

Leaning back in his chair, the first man gripped a golden staff tightly. The shift sent silver refractions scattering around as the large diamond mounted on top caught the waning light. “There’s no alternative. Everything _must_ be ready. This will be the only chance I have.”

“It’s still unknown if _anyone_ can survive such a transformation.”

The man smirked. His hand left the staff and drifted over the image of an ornate lamp etched onto one of the scrolls. “If it comes to that I have another ace planned that _will_ get me what I need.”

“But if your attempt fails everyone will know what you’re trying to do.”

“I just have to play my cards right-” The man’s eyes gleamed in the sputtering flames, “and soon the whole world will be mine.”

**********************************************************************

Ch 1-

Kai sat on the windowsill staring at the world before him. The sun’s first rays peaked over the eastern dunes, turning the brick homes and shops clustered together dark gold. 

A gentle breeze gently tugged at him and the strip of ragged cloth that served as a curtain. Kai savored the moment. The cool of the night would last only a few more minutes before the full force of the desert sun bore down on the city. 

Muted sighing came from behind him. Glancing backwards, Kai saw his younger siblings still asleep in the corner. Though the day needed to get under way, he let them sleep for a few minutes more. Anything to delay the hunger pangs that would grip them upon awakening. 

Nya rolled in her sleep, taking the blanket with her and leaving Cade’s uncovered. The younger boy grunted, unconsciously reaching for the covering. Kai laughed quietly, but the sound died in his throat when a sunbeam fell directly on Cade. 

Illuminated by the light, the roots of Cade’s hair glowed a bright blond- starkly contrasting the reddish brown coloring the rest of it. Frowning, Kai knew- without looking- they were still without henna after the last dyeing. The only other alternative never went over well. He rubbed his temples. Might as well get it over with. 

To decrease arguing time Kai scooped several handfuls of sand into a bottle. Then he poured water over the sand until he made a thin mud. Clay from the walls was added until the container held a reddish brown paste. Walking over to the pair Kai pulled the blanket away with a flourish. He was met with synchronized groans. 

“Hey kiddos. Time to rise and shine.” 

“Five more minutes.” Nya muttered, rolling away from Kai.

“Sorry, no can do.” 

“Ka-ai. It’s too early to be up.” Cade made grabbing motions for the blanket. His hands froze when he saw the bottle in Kai’s grasp. “No. Not today.” The boy furrowed his eyebrows in an attempt to look menacing- but it had more of the effect of a growling puppy. 

“Nope. You have to today. I can see the lighter hair coming up. And you know if I’m able to see it, others can too.”

“But it’s disgusting.” Cade whined.

“It’s keeping you safe and you know it.” 

Cade frowned but didn’t have a comeback for the true statement. “Fine.” 

He reached up and Kai handed him the bowl. With more grumbling than necessary he began to smash the mixture onto his scalp. Slowly his hair took on a more even red color.

Knowing she wouldn’t fall back asleep, Nya sat up and rubbed her eyes. “What’s the plan for today?”

“Namely finding something to eat.” 

Cade’s hands froze and he frowned. “We don’t have anything for breakfast?”

Kai raised a cocky eyebrow. “Not _yet_.” The boy rolled his eyes but didn’t bother responding. “We need food and-”

“-More dye.” Cade sourly put in.

“Yes,” Kai drew out the word, “I’ll try to get more.”

“Good because I am not doing this tomorrow.”

Biting his tongue to keep from shooting off a response Kai turned to his sister. “Nya you were planning on heading back to the shop, right?”

She nodded. “Jay and I think we might get our newest project done today. If we do, and it works, this might be the break we all need.” 

_‘That would be helpful.’_ Kai didn’t voice his thoughts, but a dangerous spike of hope rose within him. “Okay. Cade, get ready to go.”

“Ugh can’t I go with you today? They make me get stuff so they can make kissy faces at each other.”

“Cade!” Nya’s cheeks turned bright red. 

Though aware of his sister’s relationship with the young inventor, Kai couldn’t help the disapproving frown that spread across his face. “Maybe Nya and Jay can play _less kissy face,_ but regardless you _are_ going with Nya today.” 

“But Kaiiiiiiiiii-” Cade dragged his name out.

Setting his jaw Kai, glared at Cade. “You said you wanted more dye. That’s at the docks. There’s no way in the Realm you’re coming there with me.”

A sullen look fell over Cade’s face but he didn’t respond. Kai felt a little guilty for pulling that card, legitimate that it was. 

“You’ve been helpful at the shop and I know today you will be too.” Kai gave both his siblings a pointed stare. They mumbled their assent. “Good. Keep your eyes out for food on your way. Since it’ll take me awhile to get to the docks I don’t have time to find something for us. But make sure you’re both back before dark.”

Nya rolled her eyes. “We’re not five.”

“I know, I know. Just be careful okay?”

Cade snorted and set down the jar of dirt. “When aren’t we?”

It was Kai’s turn to roll his eyes. “Let’s keep it that way. Come here so I can check your head.” Dragging his feet Cade moped his way to Kai. A quick inspection showed no visible blond hair. “Looks good.”

“I could have told you that.”

“Uh huh, sure. Now get going.”

Nya finished her morning routine and steered Cade toward the door. The boy scampered from the room but Nya turned back to face Kai. “Don’t worry, he’ll be fine. I’ll keep my eyes on him.”

Without another word she also left. Kai stared at the empty doorway for several extra seconds. Even though he had, for years now, sent them out alone, anxiety as to what they could face gnawed at him. _‘They’ll be fine.’_ He reassured himself. 

There wasn’t any more time to waste on what if’s. He had errands to run. 

Once he was sure Nya and Cade were on their way, Kai walked to the corner holding their few possessions. His eyes locked on a brick with practiced familiarity. Digging it out of the wall he turned it over to reveal a hollow center. One silver coin rested inside. 

Kai stared at it for a moment, internally weighing how much food he could buy with it. But, with forceful finality, Kai wrapped his fist around the coin. Cade’s safety trumped hunger any day. Grabbing his worn cloak Kai wrapped it around his shoulders and slipped into the day. 

The streets were beginning to bustle with people- merchants hawking their wares, laborers heading to work, children running the streets. Kai drifted among them, blending in with the crowd. Many people pressed in close. Kai kept a tight grip on his coin. This environment would be perfect for pickpockets and thieves. Kai would know- he’d often used it to his own advantage over the years. But now was not the time to score another prize. Here especially people had reason to look over their shoulders.

Heavy footfalls thumped on the ground. Men and women scattered as guards clothed in black with red snakes embroidered on the back marched down the road. Kai gripped his cloak and ducked around a corner. Shouts came at some unlucky soul who didn’t get out of the way in time. The crack of wood on flesh followed by an anguished cry resounded. 

Kai clenched his fists, but the need for self preservation had long since squashed any thoughts of intervening where the King’s guards were concerned. 

The seconds dragged on as Kai waited. Gradually the ruckus faded and the general commotion of normal life returned. After an additional minute Kai carefully resumed his trek.

Eventually shabby hawkers booths gave way to sturdy wood. Kai’s worn cloak drew more glances, but he wasn’t any worse for wear than the sailors filling the docks. Merchants called out their wares- imported cottons, silks, jewelry, fruits. But the added value of imports brought about an added number of soldiers.

Kai held his breath as the fifth patrol in almost as many minutes stalked past him. Casually Kai sauntered to a booth and pretended to look at the jewelry it held. The tender, a woman with graying hair, gave him a sharp frown. Her eyes cut knowingly between him and the guards.

“If you’re not going to buy, get out of my customer’s way.”

Ducking his head in outward meekness Kai continued on. A quick glance over his shoulder showed the guards were no longer present.

He walked through the docks. The most expensive booths were housed on the outer ring of the wharf. Items value, and merchant’s social station, decreased closer to the loading docks. However, there was one small booth that seemed to stand apart from the rest. Not from proximity- it was placed in the fringes of the outer ring- but dark wood and subdued colors of the jars on the table didn’t encourage gawking unless a purchase was going to be made. Kai’s grip tightened one last time on the coin before he walked purposefully to the booth.

“Brann, I thought you had left me for another.” A deep rich voice called out to Kai.

Kai scoffed, unable to catch a glimpse of the owner. “Why would I do that Tynan? You’re the best supplier I know.” 

“Oh the jokes, you know I am the only one to carry such fine mixtures.” Almost as if he appeared from the shadows, a tall man with darker skin than Kai’s stood behind the table. His black clothes only helped to accent his mysterious aura. “Only one of your standing can appreciate such quality.” Tynan grinned, gold and ivory teeth gleaming.

“A compliment?” Kai placed a hand over his heart. “If I didn’t know better I’d say you were going soft.”

The older man gave him a halfhearted glare. “Did you come to browse or to mock a poor old man?”

Rolling his eyes Kai set the coin on the table. “Neither poor nor old describe you, but I will have the usual.”

The coin disappeared quick as a blink and a small clay jar stood in its place. “The finest henna for you. Hope it serves you well and remember, even miracles can take a little time.” Tynan’s level stare cut Kai straight to the core.

“Thanks.” Scooping up the jar, Kai gave a nod and rejoined the crowds.

Kai had long since given up wondering how Tynan seemed to know the things he did. He was never sure if the man’s knowledge kept him from asking questions, or if he just made it his business not to ask. Whatever the reason it’d led to a mutually beneficial relationship over the last few years. ‘ _Though_ ,’ Kai reflected as he patted his flat pockets grimly, _‘Tynan seems to have the better end of the deal.’_ Having tried once to steal the precious liquid, that wasn’t a mistake he ever planned to repeat. Yet for whatever reason Tynan chose mercy. An action Kai didn’t understand but was thankful for- more for his siblings’ sake than his own. 

“Well what have we here?” 

A menacing voice broke Kai out of his thoughts. He jerked his head up to see four dirty men surrounding a beggar a few yards away. Though he didn’t plan on stepping in, Kai's eyes trailed the scene. His blood froze when one man picked up the beggar. The man’s sleeve had fallen past his elbow and a grimy tattoo of a blue snake became visible. Turning his back, Kai walked as fast as he could in the opposite direction.

 _‘Cade is_ never _joining me here.’_ Any guilt Kai had felt about saying no that morning completely vanished. 

Kai didn’t breathe easy until he was a half hour away from the docks. Even then he had to force himself not to continually look over his shoulder. Drawing undue attention to himself right now wouldn’t help anything. It was another hour, nearly midday, when Kai made it back to the broken building serving as home. Practically collapsing on his mat, Kai leaned against the wall. 

He didn’t know why seeing some of the Hypnobrai today shook him so badly. It was far from the first time he’d been near the gang members. Maybe because he really had wanted to say yes to Cade this morning? The thoughts of how that might have resulted weren’t ones Kai wanted to dwell on. 

Forcing himself upright Kai set the jar next to their other supplies. Kai frowned at the corner. Time to get out of whatever funk this was and get back out on the streets. They all needed to eat today.

So Kai took a quick sip of water and walked back outside. The heat slapped him in the face. Sighing, Kai pulled his hood back over his head to ward off the sun. The action also helped conceal his face. Anonymity greatly increased the chances of survival in his line of ‘work’. 

Heading south Kai waited until he was a couple miles away from home to start finding something for dinner. Market stalls boasted varieties of fruits, nuts and meats. Kai passed many of the flashier booths without a second glance. But, here and there, his hand snagged a few walnuts from one stand. A couple figs from another soon joined them in his pockets. Kai was just about to start for home when his ears caught a nearby conversation.

“-emental coming to the palace!” One woman excitedly told her companion.

“What’s so special about that?” The dismissive tone was heavy in the other woman’s voice.

“My cousin works there, and she said he’s supposed to be the Earth Elemental!” 

Kai felt his eyes widen at that statement. 

“What?!” Apparently he wasn’t the only surprised one. “ _If_ that’s true he’s going to be treated like a prince.”

“That’s the thing he’s _already_ a prince.”

“If that’s true what’s he doing coming _here_ of all places? You know what people have been saying-”

“-Shush!” 

The first woman shot a furtive glance around the plaza. Kai quickly looked away. Seconds later he felt the weight of someone’s eyes on him. He meandered off but his mind spun with questions.

Why would a legendary Elemental choose this dust bowl to visit? Though given his double status, whoever the guy was he could probably do whatever he wanted and no one would question it. 

_‘Another jerkface who can waltz in and exploit us more.’_ In the desert the Earth Elemental would be a force to behold. Kai’s stomach churned at the thought of him partnering with the king. 

Trumpets blared nearby. Kai scurried toward the sound only to catch a glimpse of a black haired young man riding atop a beige gelding. Two guards rode before and behind him but he had no other entourage. Frowning Kai watched the small procession disappear in the direction of the palace. _‘I wonder what this’ll mean for the rest of us.’_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for checking this story out :) New (familiar) characters to come in ch 2 ;)


	2. Questions, Meetings and More Questions

Skylor twirled a staff in front of her. In one swift motion she jabbed at her opponent’s torso. The tall man stepped back, raising his own staff. The wood met with a loud crack. Undeterred Skylor dropped back a pace. 

Holding her guard up she and her opponent circled, watching for an opening. Skylor leapt forward again. She swung her staff but the blow glanced off her attacker’s left vambrace, his stance hardly showing he’d just deflected a hit. The man turned to the side and retaliated with a blow to Skylor’s ribs. It was too fast for Skylor to dodge completely. She gasped in pain, the blow connecting hard despite the leather armor she wore. 

Anger pulsed within her and she planted the staff on the ground. Throwing her weight onto it she lifted off, aiming a flying kick at his torso. He shifted sideways, exiting Skylor’s line of vision. Before she could react a crack resounded. Her staff jerked sideways beneath her. Losing her grip and balance Skylor fell hard onto the floor, the staff rolling several feet away. Winded she could only stare at the wood inches from her chest. Rolling her eyes in defeat she tapped the ground. The staff was quickly replaced by a hand. 

Cool blue eyes met her brown ones. “You’re getting better, Princess.” 

Skylor’s scoff echoed through the cement room, but she took his hand. “And yet you continually get the best of me, Captain Zane.” 

“I simply have had more practice than you, Your Highness.” The platinum haired man stated matter of factly. “And if I may say; from failure we learn, from success... not so much.”

Sighing, Skylor left her staff on the mat and walked to a pitcher of water sitting in the corner of the room. A male servant scurried to place the discarded weapon on its rack along the wall as Skylor took a cup offered to her by Zane. In a rare moment of abandon she tipped the cup over her brow and let the cold water wash over her. 

Zane stood to the side until she finished before pouring a glass for himself. He sipped it, his cool countenance hardly giving off the appearance he’d just been sparring. 

Giving him an appraising stare, Skylor took a second glass. “It continues to amaze me that the heat doesn’t bother you.”

The young man shrugged. “I’m afraid neither of us will know the answer to that. At least not any time soon.” He ruefully tapped his temple. 

Skylor nodded. His fair skin and fairer hair- a rarity in Ouroboros- gave the impression that he was a northerner. Such a lineage would make his resistance to the heat that much more impressive. However, having suddenly appeared outside the castle a few years earlier with a severe case of amnesia, they weren’t able to get any clear answers. Instead of leaving him to wander, King Chen allowed Zane to join the royal guard.

“Rematch?”

Before Zane could answer a knock came from the door. Zane answered it and Skylor heard an indistinct female’s voice. With a nod of thanks- and was that a small smile???- Zane dismissed the servant. 

“Unfortunately, Your Highness, our time has run its course. Your father wishes for your presence in the throne room within the half hour.”

Throwing her sweaty braid over her shoulder, Skylor barely managed to hold in a huff. “I’d best get ready then.” 

She didn’t wait for an answer before exiting the room. The dull gray bricks of the spare training room gave way to deep gold walls lined with elaborate carpets and paintings exported from the far reaches of the Realm. Servants scurried out of her way as she strode down the hall. 

Skylor felt the looks many of them threw her way, but she’d been used to that even before adamantly ‘requesting’ weapons training. What good was a princess who couldn’t defend herself? The king eventually saw the logic in her argument- or became worn out by the constant request- and allowed for the one on one training with Zane. Though the novelty of a disheveled princess had lessened in the last year, it still provided the servants with something to gossip about. Pretending she didn’t notice, Skylor kept her chin high and pace even. 

It took several minutes to reach her rooms on the opposite side of the castle. There were faster ways, but using Smoke to teleport in her current state would only put her to sleep. Something inside her warned Father wouldn’t be pleased with that. Whatever this was about she needed to be fully present.

The door to her apartments was already open when she reached it. Skylor strode through to a flurry of activity. Several of her ladies in waiting ran about the room. Some carried trays with food, silks, and Skylor could have sworn at one point she even saw a live chicken before the girl turned a corner. 

**“What is going on here?”**

The use of Sound had the desired effect. Everyone froze where they were. Yet no one seemed willing to speak up.

“Well?” Skylor tapped her foot on the ground.

“Your Highness,” A voice came from behind Skylor.

Skylor turned to see her personal maid holding a stack of papers in her hands.

“Chamille, I’m expecting there to be an excellent reason for this.”

The young woman curseyed, her purple dress swaying with the motion. “If you’ll come with me I can explain.”

Noise picked up behind them as Chamille led Skylor to her bedroom. The deep reds and oranges of her bed covers and curtains normally produced a soothing effect on Skylor when she entered, but now she felt on the verge of ‘seeing red’. The ornate yellow evening gown on her bed did not help the situation.

“Chamille-”

“Skylor.” Replying in the same tone, Chamille pushed back strands of her black hair that had fallen into her eyes. Her signature metal bracelets clinked with the action.

Their serious expressions only lasted a few more seconds before both girls began to laugh. Skylor shook her head.

“What is this all about?’

Some of the mirth left Chamille’s face. “There’s been several gifts brought here for you in the last hour. His Majesty wishes to explain it to you in the throne room.”

Skylor’s smile dropped at Chamille’s use of her father’s title. “That serious?”

Nodding Chamille picked up a pitcher and poured water into a bowl. She offered it and a rag to Skylor. Carefully Skylor splashed water on her face and dried it with a towel Chamille offered. Without proper time for a bath that was about as clean as she was going to get. Chamille helped her dress then made quick work of putting Skylor’s hair in a braided updo. In just under ten minutes Skylor had transformed from the sweaty warrior in training to the picture of poise and elegance.

Skylor trailed the image of herself in the mirror. She wasn’t unfamiliar with her appearance but the drastic change that had just taken place left her... hollow. The girl in the mirror knew the correct times to smile, to make small talk or be a gracious host, but Skylor’s fingers twitched for the feeling of the staff in her hands. 

“Your Highness...” Chamille softly broke Skylor out of her thoughts. 

“Let’s not keep Father waiting.”

Squaring her shoulders, Skylor marched out the door. If any of the servants stared this time, Skylor was oblivious. Her feet led her subconsciously to the throne room as questions filled her mind. _‘To leave me so little warning can’t be a good sign. Either something has just happened or he didn’t want to give me time to prepare...’_ Skylor was inclined to lean toward the former, considering the king remained well informed of his daughter’s training schedule. _‘But that begs the question of what happened that would require a royal reception... or at least one requiring_ my _reception.’_

Two large golden doors came into view. No more time for questions. Taking a small breath Skylor nodded to the man standing at their side. The doors swung open with a creak.

“Her Royal Highness, Princess Skylor.”

Skylor’s eyes swept the room. The familiar red pillars sitting on their bronze bases lined a red carpeted walkway. At the end of which sat the King on an elevated dais. Behind him vaulted windows gave an impressive view to the immaculate gardens in the courtyard below. 

A guard stood at the base of the dais. He bowed as Skylor mounted the stairs. King Chen sat on his wooden throne watching with impassive eyes. _‘He’s gone all out today.’_ Skylor internally frowned, taking in her father’s rich red robe and purple headdress.

Curtsying deeply, she spoke, “Father.” 

She kept her head down and waited. Irritation prickled within her. All the questions she’d been contemplating begged to be released, but decorum in the throne room trumped any personal desires. 

“Ah my dear, thank you for joining us on such short notice.”

 _‘Us?’_ Rising Skylor saw for the first time the man standing behind the throne. Black robes and hair blending in with the shadows, as if he was one of them, the royal advisor, Clouse, stood silently. The golden staff in his hand gave a stark contrast to the dark aura that surrounded him. Skylor’s eyes narrowed slightly at the accessory. It wasn’t one she’d seen before. The white diamond inlaid on the top seemed to whisper to her. She almost took a step toward it when-

“There’s a visitor that I think will be of interest to you.”

Skylor tore her gaze away and looked back at her father. “To me?”

Chen gestured to the smaller chair at his side. Sitting down Skylor waited for him to continue. 

“Yes. It seems Prince Cole of the Trerian Kingdom has chosen to visit.”

Skylor raised an eyebrow. Trerian was nearly a month’s journey to the east. Nothing but desert wasteland and dangerous roads lay between the two kingdoms. Whatever the prince was here for, it was a very deliberate - or desperate- reason. 

“Has he said the reason for this visit?”

Father shook his head. “He gave very little warning that he intended to come here. However...” Lingering over the word, Skylor saw an odd light come into her father’s eyes. “However there are rumors he’s an Elemental Master.”

That explained why her presence was requested. Yet Skylor couldn’t think what element this prince might have. From everything she’d been taught most Elemental Masters lived in Ouroboros. If an Element wasn’t here, the most likely explanation was the family line had died out. But that didn’t fit in with this situation...

“An Elemental Master in Trerian?”

“Curious enough to begin with but... it’s believed he is the Master of Earth.”

Skylor couldn’t keep her mouth from dropping at that. “The Master of Earth?”

Of all the Elements for this foreigner to be it was one of the primary Elements?!

“That is the speculation. If he’s not entirely forthcoming with that information, you will be able to tell if these rumors are true.” 

Skylor wasn’t sure she liked, or understood, the tone of the king’s voice, but she nodded. 

A slow smile spread across Chen’s face. “Good.” He nodded to the guard. “I believe it’s time to see our guest.”

The guard bowed again and exited out a side door. Skylor and Chen waited in silence. Then, with a deep rumble, the doors at the end of the room swung open. 

Two grim faced guards wearing forest green tunics marched into the room. They parted, giving Skylor her first view of the prince. Whatever she expected it wasn’t what she saw. 

Prince Cole looked about her age, maybe a year or two older. With his deeply tanned skin and black hair he could have passed for a citizen of Ouroboros. He was broad shouldered and, even through his black tunic, Skylor could see he had the physique of a warrior. However, what confused Skylor was the way his shoulders seem to hunch. His head and gaze remained low, but it appeared to be a practiced motion rather than simply showing King Chen his respect. 

As if he felt her studying him Cole looked up and met Skylor’s stare. Weariness shone in his eyes and, in that brief moment, Skylor had to wonder if it was caused by more than the trip across the desert. Almost as quickly his eyes returned to a spot on the floor. He stopped before the dais and bowed deeply at the waist. 

“Your Majesty.” His deep voice reverberated easily through the room. “Thank you for consenting to see me on such short notice. I apologize for my lack of warning but time was of the essence.”

“I must say you have piqued my interest. It’s not often we entertain emissaries from Trerian, let alone one of its princes.”

Skylor could have sworn she saw Cole’s jaw tighten before he straightened. 

“King Lewis sends his regards. It’s at his request I’ve come.” The young man hesitated for a moment. Taking in a deep breath he continued, “There have been... unnatural events happening at home. Localized earthquakes. Rocks moving and dust rising when there’s no wind or storm. Since history dictates your country has dealt with a variety of unique occurrences, it is my King’s hope you would be able to bring understanding and a stop to whatever is causing it.”

Chen tapped his fingers together. “I see. There are several things it could be and many potential things that haven’t been heard here before. This will take time to research.”

Bowing again, Cole nodded. “Thank you for your willingness to look into the matter.”

Chen continued as if he didn’t hear him. “My daughter’s 18th birthday celebration is in two days. There will be little time to start inquiring before then. In the meantime you and your party are welcome here at the palace until the matter is settled. What is your total so we can prepare rooms for you?”

“It’s myself and four guardsmen, sire.”

Only four guards? Skylor hid her another frown. If memory served, Cole was third in line for the throne but that still felt like it would warrant a larger party than five traveling across the barren wastelands. 

Chen nodded, not expressing any surprise. “I’ll have rooms prepared for you and your men.” 

He rose from his seat and walked to the prince. Knowing that was her cue, Skylor followed suit. 

“Princess Skylor will escort you to the western guest quarters.”

Cole nodded and bowed before the pair. “Thank you again, sire.”

Skylor could feel the expectation radiating off her father. Refraining from rolling her eyes, Skylor extended her hand to Cole. He took it. 

A sudden surge of warmth charged up Skylor’s arm before resting in her chest. The strength almost took her breath away. She had been in contact with other Elemental Masters over the years, but this young man’s power rivaled any she’d ever experienced. There was no doubt in her mind this was a primary Elemental Master.

Through the rush in her ears she realized Cole had said something. Settling for a nod Skylor hoped her daze hadn’t been noticeable. 

“It’s a pleasure to meet you Prince Cole. I hope your stay here will be a beneficial one.” She gestured to a side door. “If you’ll come with me I'll show you where you can freshen up. I’d imagine it’s been a long journey.”

“Thank you, Your Highness.” Cole walked with his men to the door while Skylor looked back at Chen. 

Her father was watching her intently. She gave a barely perceptible nod. A gleam came into Chen’s eye that disappeared a second later. Unsure what that could mean, Skylor watched as her father rejoined Clouse on the dais. 

An awkward cough came behind her. Cole and the two guards stood by the doorway, waiting for her.

“I apologize, my mind was elsewhere for a moment.”

As Sklyor directed the men through the halls she couldn’t help but wonder, _‘What is this going to lead to?’_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick note about Skylor- she is still Master of Amber, but, though she can use any power she's absorbed, she can only do it at about 1/2 strength of what the original master could do at full strength. The philosophy there is kinda jack of all trades, master of none. And no combining two at once (though she could do two different elements in rapid succession).
> 
> I'm deliberately changing Cole's dad's name from Lou to Lewis. For this AU what I'm doing with his family is different enough that it's not the same character depicted in the show. More as the story develops 😉


	3. Dark Caves and Dark Aspirations

Clouse stared intently at Prince Cole's retreating form. Something moved in his periphery and he turned to see Chen dismissing the guard. Soon the two men were alone in the large room.

Chen drummed his fingers on his throne. "A surprising turn of events, to say the least. What do you make of this?"

"The timing is... most curious."

Nodding, Chen leaned back in his chair. "My thoughts exactly. Him withholding the fact he's the Master of Earth is suspicious in of itself."

"It's possible he doesn't know." Clouse ran a hand down his scepter. "History has shown that Trerian is a country that doesn't exactly... _appreciate_ that which they don't understand. Elemental masters being among such."

"We'll see. He's very powerful if it is indeed him causing the widespread tremors _._ " Chen gave Clouse a sidelong glance. "Keep a close eye on him."

"Of course, Your Majesty. I also must inform you that I received word that Lord Neuro sends his regards but he will be unable to make it to Skylor's birthday... again."

Chen's face darkened. "What was his excuse this time?"

"Something about a family emergency. He neatly forgot to give the specifics."

"That man has taken far too many liberties with my patience over the years... he's started to become much more than a nuisance. I'll have you draft a response later. Anyone else I should be aware of?"

"No. The other guests have sent their replies and should begin arriving tomorrow."

"Good, good. I expect a report from you tonight."

"Of course, sire." Giving a partial bow, Clouse excused himself.

After exiting the room Clouse kept his face impassive, but his thoughts were anything but calm. It had been several years since a new Elemental master had appeared and now, of all the times it could happen, another master of Creation literally appeared on their doorstep. The timing hardly could be a coincidence. Frowning, Clouse picked up speed, ignoring the servants who literally ran to get out of his way.

Once in his chambers Clouse shut his door with more force than strictly necessary. _'This does not leave much time to prepare.'_ Doing a quick sweep of the room to make sure it was empty, Clouse struck the staff on his chamber floor. A piercing clang rang out. The white diamond flashed and Clouse muttered a spell under his breath. As the light faded from the room, Clouse did too.

Soft firelight danced against the cave walls. Not bothering to wait for his eyes to adjust, Clouse took the familiar path deeper into the earth. The tunnel opened into a large room lit by torches and a central fire pit. Illuminated in the glow were several tables scattered about filled with scrolls, jars, bottles and bits of metals. Most notably was a large planetary model set on metal stands moving in real time.

Walking to the display, Clouse tracked the sun, moon and earth's slow rotations. Clouse whispered another spell. The spheres accelerated, whipping around the base of the podium as time artificially passed. Then, with an audible shriek, the model stopped. The sun rested in front of the planet, moon between the two.

"Expand."

Flickering images of the nearest planets in the solar system appeared- all lined up directly behind the sun.

Clouse stared at the earth, standing alone in the solar system. An event that came only every 300 years.

A high pitched caw came from the stalactites, breaking Clouse from his musings. He let the illusion fade and the planet returned to its present location. Looking up Clouse waited for a large falcon to land on the ground in front of him.

"Do you have anything that's actually worth while today?"

The bird's eyes narrowed and it screeched indignantly.

"Watch it." Clouse glared but the bird tapped its foot impatiently.

He sent a stream of purple magic at the bird. There was a grunt of pain as the bird's form grew and elongated. In a matter of seconds the falcon had been replaced with a man bracing himself on all fours and panting heavily.

"I... hate... that!" The man spat between breaths.

Clouse raised an unimpressed eyebrow. "I could leave you as a bird but give you the ability to speak. That would remove the need for any further transformations."

Another glare met Clouse's words, the effect amplified by the cloudy visage that covered the man's left eye. He forced himself upright on wobbly knees and brushed dirt off his leather shirt.

"That's what I thought."

"Look ya want your report or not?"

"By all means Ronin, don't let me stop you."

Flexing his hand Ronin spoke tersely. "I scouted that cave you sent me to and it looks legit. The problem is there's booby traps galore- even airborne ones- that I'm not able to disable thanks to my lack of fingers."

Clouse waved away Ronin's barbed statement. "If you couldn't get close how do you know that it's there?"

"People don't trap like _that_ unless they've got something important to protect."

"You would know." Clouse mused aloud. Ronin bristled but didn't comment. "But you're too valuable for me to risk, and frankly too untrustworthy to make the attempt. Hmmmmm." Tapping his thumb on the scepter, Clouse turned his attention back to the clock. The days were passing swiftly and time was running out. "I've got a new assignment for you."

"As long as it isn't reading those stupid scrolls again. My eye is still crossed from the last time."

"Might I remind you-" Clouse reached into his robe and pulled out a small gold ring. He held it up for Ronin to see. Ronin's face grew red and he took a step toward it, but Clouse held it out of reach. "-that you aren't in a place to negotiate." Clouse pocketed the ring while Ronin tracked his movements. "So don't get any ideas."

"Hey, we have a deal."

"Oh I'm aware. I'm just making sure you remember it. After all, all ways here are my ways."

Ronin clenched his jaw. "You've made your point. What do you want now?"

"This assignment is twofold. You're to keep an eye on the visiting prince. There's something off with his story and I need to know what he's doing and who he talks to. On top of that look for a candidate for the cave's trails. Someone clever, quick on their feet- and not in a position to attempt a double cross."

"And how do you expect me to be in two places at once?"

"I'm sure you'll figure it out. You have two hours to do what you will before I send you out."

Growling under his breath, Ronin stormed out of the room. Based on his door choice Clouse suspected he was going into the mines instead of to his pallet. Clouse rolled his eyes. He'd have to make sure Ronin didn't fall asleep on assignment again.

Pulling out the ring once more Clouse walked over to a scrying bowl. He dipped it inside and a rippling image of a woman appeared. Her black hair was long and unkempt and her mouth tight as she bent over a stack of wood. As Clouse watched, Ronin approached her and she dropped the wood in her hand. Her pale face regained some of its color but a desperate look filled her eyes. She probably would have run to Ronin, but the fetters around her ankles didn't allow for much range of motion. Clouse curled his nose in disgust as the two embraced and let the image fade. At least some of the incentive for Ronin's behavior wasn't going to become ineffective any time soon.

Leaving the bowl, Clouse walked to one of his scroll filled tables. He dug out a small piece of parchment, buried beneath the pile. Neat handwriting filled the space.

_Located:_

_Light_

_Nature_

_Wind_

_Gravity_

_Metal_

_Sound_

_Speed_

_Mind_

_S_ _moke_

_Poison_

_Amber_

_Ice_

Flipping over the paper, Clouse looked over the Elements recorded there.

_Missing:_

_Creation_

_Destruction_

_Fire_

_Earth_

_Lightning_

_Water_

_Time_

_S_ _hadow_

He crossed 'Earth' off the list and moved it to the front. The number of missing Elements had dwindled in recent years, but not quickly enough. Frowning Clouse looked over the Elements again.

Creation and Destruction had long since been lost to the ages. They had been the only ones not to reappear with any others that had died out throughout Oroborous' long history. Clouse had little hope of ever finding them, but he kept them on the list as a reminder of what still _might_ be out there.

There had been a lead on two Elements years ago, but that came to nothing. However, with Earth showing up now... Clouse wouldn't be surprised if others made themselves known in the coming days. Especially if history were to repeat itself. That left only the job of being at the right place at the right time when they appeared.

Clouse turned his gaze to the diamond staff in his hand. In the torch light various colors could be seen jerking around, as if trying to escape. The most violent was a bright white that swirled like a storm, flashing and dimming at regular intervals.

"Don't worry, you won't have to stay there for much longer."

Assuming everything went according to plan. Clouse rubbed his temples. That was still a large assumption. But, now that Earth had made itself known, he could better prepare. Pulling out one of his texts, Clouse began to mix different ingredients in a ceramic bowl.

At one point he reached to grab a flask off a nearby table. When he turned back, his elbow struck the bowl, sending it crashing to the floor. Cursing under his breath, Clouse looked over the mess. He'd have to start from the beginning. Might as well kill two birds with one stone.

A large bronze bell had been mounted on the far wall. Still muttering to himself Clouse walked over and rang it. Low pitched clanging reverberated through the cave and into the tunnels beyond. While he waited, Clouse magicked the mess away.

Several minutes later a giant of a man walked into the room. His tanned skin and black hair, along with his black guard's uniform, made him look like an extension of the shadows. Black eyes, so dark they were almost purple, practically matched the purple snake embroidered on his chest.

"Captain Pyth."

"Sir." Pyth gave a brisk nod.

"I've been reminded that I haven't had a status update from the lower levels in three days. I believe you were told to report to me daily."

"Forgive me, sir. We've been busy and I haven't had the opportunity to be discrete."

Clouse narrowed his eyes. "Don't let it happen again." He paused to let his words sink in. "Now what is the latest report?"

"We're making progress, sir. The weapons are coming along and production is on schedule for apparatus that you wanted. We still haven't figured out a source to work it, but there's been a few rumors of people in the city who might be able to... help... with that."

"I see." Frowning in thought, Clouse considered his options. "Find anyone who might be of use. We're running out of time and it has to be done. Soon. But I need you to remain discreet. I don't want this revealed prematurely."

"I understand. I'll have my men get right on it."

"Good. You're dismissed. Send Ronin to me on your way back with a tin dish. The last shipment didn't cut it."

With a nod the man spun on his heel and marched out of the room. _'Some good news at least.'_ If the contraption became functional that would be the biggest piece of the puzzle locked into place.

Footsteps echoed into the room and Clouse looked up as Ronin all but stumbled back in. His eye was bloodshot and the way his hair was marred made it look like he'd just been awakened from sleep. A medium tin bowl balanced precariously in his open hands. Clouse waved the bowl over and Ronin leaned tiredly against a table.

"Time to start. Remember what happens if you shirk in your duty." Clouse narrowed his eyes at Ronin.

"Whatever. Just get it over with."

A smug sense of satisfaction rose within Clouse as he shot another burst of purple magic at Ronin. Ronin let out a grunt but didn't make any other sound until he had turned back into a falcon. Once bird Ronin stopped kneeling over, Clouse struck the scepter against the ground. In the blink of an eye Ronin disappeared.

Alone again, Clouse looked around the room. There was another matter he needed to attend to. One that wouldn't work if anyone happened to walk in on while he did it. Casting another spell, Clouse set invisible walls at all the room's doors. They would only dissipate when Clouse commanded them to. Satisfied in his work, Clouse struck the ground with the staff once more.

This time the flash was subtler, more muted in color. A form flickered into existence a few feet in front of him. Clouse waited until he had the newcomer's full attention.

"I have a new assignment for you. Things are about to become... interesting."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N- Just because there are a list of located elements doesn't mean Skylor has them all... what she does and doesn't have will continue to be revealed as the story progresses :)
> 
> Also, as some of you may have noticed (especially in this chapter), there are significant Aladdin vibes in this story ;) Yes this is a crossover-esque story but no it will not exactly follow the plot lines of either Ninjago or Aladdin. Until next chapter my peeps :)


	4. Of Presents Given and Received

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some darker themes alluded to in this chapter

"Stop! Thief!"

Yes, because yelling at him to 'stop' was really going to bring Kai to a screeching halt. He rolled his eyes. The guards gave themselves entirely too much credit. If anything, their shouts only fueled his determination to get away. Though the bread and oranges he'd recently 'acquired' suddenly felt a lot heavier in his pockets.

People scattered before Kai- no one willing to help the proposed thief, but neither was anyone willing to look like allies of the king's soldiers. Ducking down a side alleyway Kai spotted a ladder leading to the flat rooftops. _'I hope this doesn't kill me!'_ He scrambled up the wall and reached the roof right as the guards turned the corner.

Not stopping to see if they'd seen him climb, Kai continued his sprint. Now instead of dodging pedestrians, he had to dodge gravity. Small price to pay if it got him away. Maybe if he ran towards the setting sun, even though it was the opposite way than Jay's where everyone was supposed to meet up, they wouldn't see him as easily-

"-He's up there!-"

"-Morro get your squad this way!-"

"-I see him!-"

_'Crap.'_ Forcing his aching legs faster Kai turned north in hopes that changing directions would throw off his pursuers. _'I've got to find a way down!'_ The last thing he needed was to be cornered twenty some feet **(6.1m)** above the ground. Several of the houses flying beneath his feet had stairs, but they led to the inside of the building. Getting stuck in some random person's house didn't sound any more appealing than being attacked on the roof. He grit his teeth and kept going.

The dense loaf in his hand felt heavier than it should have. Yes he'd gone a little overkill trying to flinch this, but with Nya's birthday 'celebration' in less than an hour and very little to show for it... Kai has gotten a little greedy. Just in time for one of the extra patrols to spot him and give chase.

Trying to keep from squeezing the bread into a crumbly mess he turned back toward the east. Three houses later two wooden prongs poked above one of the roofs. _'Please be a ladder, please be a ladder- Yes!!'_ He scurried down and took to the streets again. Somewhere between going up and down the houses he put himself out of the guards line of vision.

Gradually the sounds of pursuit died away. Kai pressed on for a few more minutes before stumbling to a halt in a darkening alleyway. He leaned against the wall, panting heavily. _'That was way too close.'_ And now several guards knew what he looked like- just what every criminal wanted. _'Some birthday run this has turned out to be.'_ He thought bitterly. That's all he wanted to get Nya as a present; his incarceration and probable execution. A small sound, almost like a whimper, broke him out of his thoughts.

Kai spun on his heel and looked around. The alley wasn't as empty as he'd initially thought. It took a moment in the poor light, but Kai gradually began to make out a hunched figure within the shadows. He was about to leave when the sound came again. _'Don't do it, don't do it...'_ Too many people pretended they were in need of help in order to waylay some unsuspecting soul.

Still, Kai hesitated.

The noise had sounded like someone in actual trouble. He looked around, but no one else appeared to be lurking nearby. Cautiously Kai took a step forward. The person immediately scooted farther away.

"Hello?"

Instead of an answer another choked noise exploded from the individual and one of their arms came up to cover their head. Kai froze but was now close enough to make out the details of the person before him.

It was a girl several years younger than Kai. However, her condition made Kai's blood freeze. Her clothing was torn and covered in blood. The hand that wasn't covering her head clutched at her blouse in a desperate attempt to hold the torn fabric together. When Kai made no move toward her, she looked up and their gazes locked.

The fractured look in her eyes made Kai stumble back. It was a look he did everything imaginable in his power to keep from seeing on Nya's face... and one that Kai had seen take years to fade from Cade.

The look of someone who had completely given up hope.

"Here." Kai slowly held the bread out toward her before he realized what he was doing. "You need it more than I do."

She stared at it for a long moment, clearly wanting to lunge for it, but instead she pressed herself flatter against the wall. "I ain't takin' no favors." Her voice came out raspy and brittle.

If such a little kindness as bread made her wary, Kai could only imagine the life she'd had. "It's not a favor, it's a gift. Sorry it's not more."

He took one more step towards her and stretched his arm out again. Slowly, suspiciously, she uncoiled herself. Then she lurched forward and snagged it from his hand before curling back up to the wall. The bread disappeared in a matter of seconds.

"If- if you're ever looking for anywhere to stay out of sight there's several abandoned houses on the south side near the river delta. It's close enough to the palace that not too many people hang out there long term but uh, just want to let you know." Kai shifted awkwardly. The girl didn't respond and Kai took that as his cue to leave.

Walking briskly around the corner, Kai let out a shuddery breath. He wasn't unaccustomed to the dire needs and hurts of many who lived on Ouroboros' streets- he lived it himself- but that didn't mean he had to be desensitized to the horrors the city could hold. Forcing down the rising bile in his throat he resumed his trek to Jay's.

Few pedestrians remained on the streets. The last rays of sunset were disappearing and leaving only a half hour at best before full dark. Several large birds lazily flapped in the sky, heading to their roosts. Kai picked up his pace. After the last couple hours he had no desire to test his waning luck with the night prowlers.

Walking quickly Kai managed to make it to Jay's apartment just before twilight. He stopped outside the door and ran a hand through his hair. Not only had he lost what was going to be the bulk of their meal, but now all he had to offer Nya as a present was a measly orange. Nya- and Cade- deserved way more. Resisting the urge to bang his head on the door, Kai instead used his hand to knock. Jay opened the door, the tight lines around his eyes relaxing when he saw Kai.

"There you are! We were beginning to wonder if something happened to you." Jay paused and took in Kai's disheveled appearance. "What did happen to you?"

Kai gave a half grin/half grimace to his friend's onslaught of words. "You know the palace guards are always more vigilant on days like today. They decided they wanted to play cat and mouse. Guess who was the mouse." He rolled his eyes. "But do ya mind if I come in? I don't want to draw any attention standing here on your doorstep."

A similar grimace crossed Jay's face and he quickly ushered Kai inside. The cluttered workroom immediately felt claustrophobic compared to the street, but unless someone peered between the slats boarding up the front window, Kai was virtually out of sight. He had only taken two steps forward when a flying brown blur crashed into him. Kai stumbled back, ribs groaning in protest.

"Hey, Cade. You know it's only been a couple hours since I last saw you, right?"

The younger boy released Kai and glared at him accusingly. "Yeah, but you're normally not late. Or at least not _this_ late."

"I know, I know. Sorry about that. It's not like I was trying to make you guys worry."

"You still managed it pretty well."

Kai looked up to see Nya across the room, arms crossed and leaning against the door jam that led to Jay's small kitchen. "I'm sorry. I promise this wasn't the gift I planned on giving."

"It's certainly made this birthday more exciting than past ones." She stated dryly.

"Alright now that everyone's here how 'bout we move this party to the table?" Jay interjected himself between the siblings before their building tension could erupt into an all out argument. "Were you able to bring the main course?"

Flushing slightly, Kai shook his head. "That was part of the reason I'm late. Some guards saw me snag the bread and then... well let's just say someone much worse off than us needed it." Kai's eyes drifted to Cade.

Nya and Jay followed the look and Nya's posture softened. "That's okay. We'll make do."

_'I wish I could give you more than just "making do."'_ _I want us all to more than survive. I want to live.'_ Biting his tongue, Kai reached into his jacket pocket. "I did, however, get us dessert." Three oranges gleamed in his hands.

Cade leapt up. "You got oranges!?"

"It _is_ a special occasion." Kai smirked, but his heart wasn't in it.

"Thank you Kai." Smiling Nya took the fruit and led the group to the kitchen.

The small room barely fit the four people crowded into it, but it gave off a cozy feel. A pot of watery soup simmered over a fireplace. Chipped bowls sat on the table along the far wall. They squished around the table and Jay dished the soup. It did little more than line Kai's stomach but he was grateful for Jay's effort. The young would-be inventor hardly had more than Kai and his siblings. Not many people were interested in the metal creations Jay predominately made.

When the soup was finished Kai brought out the oranges and divided them into four parts. He gave a slightly larger portion to Nya.

"Happy 17th Birthday, sis."

Jay and Cade echoed his words. Kai glanced sideways at Cade. He was smiling but, like at each of Kai's and Nya's birthdays, the smile didn't quite reach his eyes.

While the older two had the rare, on the street, knowledge of knowing their birthday and ages -since Kai had been old enough to remember before their parents vanished- everything about Cade was shrouded in mystery. They didn't know his birthday, his age, or even his real name. He'd only been called 'boy' - on good days- until he joined Kai and Nya.

"I do have one more thing." Kai broke away from his thoughts and looked at Jay. "But I need _everyone_ to close their eyes."

"But it's only Nya's birthday." Cade whined.

"Oh just do it." Kai lightly smacked Cade on the head.

"Okay, okay."

Suspiciously everyone complied. Kai heard Jay leave the table and rummage in the workroom. Something flashed bright enough to be seen through Kai's closed eyelids.

"Wha-?"

"Keep them closed for another second!" Jay's voice sounded more forceful than Kai could ever remember hearing.

"Yeish. They're closed."

"Kai be nice." Nya hissed.

Another flash came, and this time a soft 'whirr' accompanied it.

"Okay, you can open them."

"Oh Jay!"

Kai felt his own breath catch in his throat. A small metal etching of a phoenix in flight moved up and down, as if by magic, against an etched coastal background.

"How-?" Nya's voice filled with wonder. "We couldn't even get the time prototype to work. How did you-?" She gently traced the phoenix's base.

"I have my ways." Jay smiled but Kai noticed a hint of strain in his voice.

"What was that flash?"

Jay flinched just slightly. "I- I lit a match."

"You lit a match?" Kai drew out the question. "I know how fire looks and that was way to bright-"

"I've been developing something new with magnesium..." Jay trailed off.

"Kai, leave him be." Nya scolded. "It's beautiful Jay, thank you so much."

The topic dropped, moving to other things. Eventually the group piled into the main room with their sleeping mats. As they wound down none of the occupants noticed the feathers that drifted past the window. Neither did anyone see the bird that soared through the night toward the brightly lit palace. Ignoring the Princess' guests he flew to a room with a window unobtrusively cracked open.

The party guests never noticed when a more surly member of the court retired for the evening. And certainly no one overheard his exchange with the no-longer-a-falcon.

"I think I learned a couple things you might be interested to know."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/n- The plot thickens hehehehe. Also just to clarify, yes Jay knows he's the Master of Lightning, no he hasn't told Kai/Nya/Cade because of reasons...


	5. A Delicate and Deliberate Dance

"The cake is ready?"

"Yes, Your Highness."

Skylor stepped sideways to avoid two servants carrying a table. Her eye scanned the expansive room currently filled with people setting furniture, hanging tapestries, and arranging cutlery. "The drink table is prepared?"

"Yes, Your Highness."

"The guests who have arrived have been taken care of?"

"Yes, Your Highness."

"And what about-"

"I'll take it from here." Chamille stepped in front of the maid whose green eyes were growing wider with each question. "Thank you Pixal." The girl curtsied and briskly left to take care of some other task- and before Skylor could send more questions her way.

"We've got this girl, you can breathe. It's not the first time the palace staff has put together a party."

"I know, I know." Skylor resisted the urge to rub her temples. "But this is the first time Father has put me in charge of the preparations. I don't want this to reflect poorly on him."

"He knows that and based on how everything is going, I don't think you'll have anything to worry about."

"She's right my dear," Another female voice cut in, "From what I can see you are doing a fabulous job."

Skylor's heart rose at the voice. She turned to face the newcomer. Standing calmly among the organized chaos, a stately middle aged woman, clothed in an emerald green gown that matched her eyes, smiled at the princess. A slim package rested in her arms.

"Lady Misako," Skylor gave the woman a deep head nod, the largest gesture of difference her elevated station allowed in front of so many people. In reality she wished to wrap Misako in a hug. "It means so much to me that you would come. If I may be candid, I was surprised that you accepted the invitation. My deepest condolences on your loss."

News had come only two months ago that the aging Lord Garmadon had succumbed to the illness that wracked his body for years. No one had ever officially figured out the cause of his ailment, a wasting disease that ate at both his body and mind, but gossip had whispered it stemmed from a broken heart over the loss of their son.

Sadness flickered in Misako's eyes even as she gave a gentle smile. "Thank you. As much as I will miss him, my husband is finally at peace. Besides, I wouldn't miss your coming of age birthday celebration for anything."

Those words meant more to Skylor than anyone might ever know. Though Misako's visits to the palace were few and far between, because of her husband's health, those visits allowed for a close bond to form between the women. In a way Misako became a surrogate mother for Skylor and Skylor was the child Misako never raised.

"When did you arrive?"

"Just after midday. I finished preparing my belongings and one of the maids informed me you were here."

Skylor swept her gaze around the room then sent a quick look to Chamille. With a nod Chamille turned to one of the annex rooms that lined the ballroom.

"It seems everything is taken care of for the moment. Let's retire to the drawing room for a few minutes where we can speak in relative peace."

Chamille ushered the two inside the room and closed the door behind them. Skylor let out a tiny sigh of relief as the noise instantly dimmed to a muted hum. Several plush couches sat close together in a U shape. Vaulted windows allowed golden sunlight to fill the room. Skylor settled on one of the seats facing Misako.

"How was your journey here?"

"Uneventful, which is as much as I could ask for- given our route."

Hiding a grimace, Skylor nodded. The two day journey from Hiroshi Manner led past cliffs notorious for hiding waiting criminals. Another reason Misako didn't often make the journey to the palace. "I'm glad."

"I knew I would see you tonight at the ball, but I wanted to catch you early to give you this in person." Misako gently handed the bundle in her arms to Skylor.

Skylor tried not to look too eager as she unwrapped the package. In a matter of seconds she held two scrolls bound together by a silver chain set with a delicately carved oleander blossom.

Skylor's breath caught in her throat. "It's beautiful."

"There's an old proverb that says 'the flower that blooms in adversity is the beautiful of all.' I've seen that be true for you my dear. As you enter adulthood don't lose sight of the lessons you've learned. Speaking of lessons..." She gestured to the scrolls. Skylor unrolled them to find depictions and detailed depictions for sword forms and attacks. "These scrolls have been passed down from my father's fathers for generations. They have been carefully guarded and selectively utilized over the years so that only a few know their prowess. Garmadon and I have no heir and, as such, I would be honored if you accepted these. I know you would put them to good use."

Even with all her etiquette training Skylor couldn't keep her jaw from dropping. "My Lady... these- I couldn't accept-"

"Yes," Misako interrupted, "you can. They are a gift."

"Thank you.' Skylor stared in wonder at the scrolls. Such a gift was not only priceless, but in the gift -and in her phrasing- Misako was practically claiming Skylor as her heir. She shook herself and gave Misako a tight hug.

A soft knock came at the door. Skylor started and reluctantly let go of Misako while Chamille opened the door.

"Yes?"

Skylor couldn't hear the reply but Chamille nodded and closed the door.

"Sorry Highness, your father wants to see you before the party kicks off."

"Alright." She shot a look at Misako, who waved her toward the door.

"Don't worry about me dear. I plan on staying for the next two weeks. We will have time to catch up."

Skylor smiled. "I look forward to it."

With a final nod Skylor passed her gifts to Chamille and left the room. People still swarmed the halls, most too focused on their tasks to notice the Crown Princess walking in their midst. Skylor smothered a smile. It wasn't often she could walk about unnoticed even in the palace.

Soon she reached the large wooden doors leading to the King's chambers. The two guards standing in front of them bowed to her and knocked on the door. Seconds later it opened and a man, a little on the heavier side, poked his head out.

"Ah my Princess! Come in, come in!"

Skylor gave a tight smile at the man's enthusiastic response. "Thank you Dareth. I was told my father sent for me?"

"Yes he did. In fact I was about to go find you myself because _obviously_ whoever they sent wasn't as fast as I- ahh!" Dareth's words broke off with a yelp as he tripped over his pant leg and landed face first on the floor.

Fighting a sigh, Skylor waited for her father's manservant to stand up again. Why Chen kept him as his personal attendant, Skylor had no idea. Though in her father's weird way he probably found the man's endless bumbling a cheap source of entertainment. But that meant the rest of the castle had to put up with the messes that inevitably followed.

At that moment Chen stepped out from one of the adjacent rooms. "Skylor my dear, happy birthday."

Skylor gave a small curtsy. "Thank you Father."

"Ach, don't tell me you're too old for a hug now."

Smiling, Skylor shook her head. "Of course I'm not."

The two embraced before Chen pulled back and looked her over head to toe. "I can hardly believe it. My little girl, all grown up."

" _Father._ " Skylor glanced at the servants in the room, most of whom were watching the pair. She fought against the heat rising in her face.

Chen smirked. "What?"

"Father!" Skylor didn't hide the exasperation in her voice this time.

Laughing, Chen ushered Skylor to his solar. The little red and gold room held two couches facing each other with a table- currently holding a tray of bread and cheese- between them. Several other chairs and cabinets lined the room. Chen shut the door behind them and Skylor relaxed her posture. This room was one of the few places in the castle where Skylor and Chen could be father and daughter rather than king and princess.

Skylor traced the back of her usual chair before pointing an accusing finger at Chen. "You enjoy embarrassing me entirely too much."

"What else are fathers for? And now that it's your 18th birthday I won't have many more opportunities since you're no longer my _little_ girl."

Rolling her eyes Skylor settled into the chair. "Somehow I doubt you'll let it go that easily. But thank you Father."

"If only your mother could see you now. You're so much like her." Chen took his own seat and chose a goblet from the table.

Skylor brushed the hair out of her eyes. Given that her mother had died in childbirth Skylor never knew the woman. However, Chen's stories helped paint a picture of who she'd been.

"What was her opinion on birthday celebrations?"

A distant look came into Chen's eyes and he smiled. "She hated her own. As if being queen wasn't enough, she then had another reason for everyone to be paying her attention. But she loved hosting for others. She kept track of almost all the staff's birthdays. When we found out that you were on the way, Adela was so excited. I had lists written all over my desk of plans she wanted to complete with you one day."

But instead something had gone wrong and none of those plans had been able to come to pass. Skylor's heart clenched. What was fair about a mother being taken from her newborn and husband?

"I have a gift I've been saving for your coming-of-age celebration." Chen pulled out a small box from his pocket and handed it to Skylor. "In a way, it's a gift from both your mother and me."

Hands shaking, Skylor gently opened the lid. A small gasp of wonder escaped her lips. Inside two gold rings lay side by side. One was encrusted with rubies while the other had orange topazes inlaid along the band.

"Father... these are beautiful."

"They were our wedding rings. And now I want to give them to you. Even before you were born Adela talked about how she wanted to do this on your 18th birthday. You have three more years before the law dictates that the heir is to be wed, but at 18 we had wanted to remind you that love can come even when you least expect it."

"Like with you and Mother?"

Chen nodded. "You know we were an arranged marriage. But with patience, and a lot of communication, we became best of friends. Whoever you end up marrying I want to see you happy. And I do want grandbabies one day."

"Father..." Skylor drew out the word.

"I know, I know." Chen raised his hands in surrender. "But it's never too early to be looking."

Grimacing Skylor traced the rim of her goblet. "None of the nobles around here are worth my time. Not only are they exceedingly dull, but they're only after your position."

Chen rolled his eyes. "They'd do well to brush up on Ourboron law."

To be fair it _had_ been nearly 150 years since the last female heir inherited the throne. Unless her husband was a king already, the man a female heir chose would not become king but would instead take on the title of Consort. Though he would hold a measure of power in the palace, it would be the Queen who ultimately retained the seat of power. That would only change if she became incapacitated or if she abdicated to her own heir.

"Either they don't know or they don't care. At this point I'm not sure which is worse."

"Well, you will have the opportunity to mingle with more men your age at the ball tonight. Speaking of..." Chen swirled the glass in his hand and looked up at Skylor, "What do you think of Prince Cole?"

Skylor narrowed her eyes. "In what way?"

"There's more than one?" Chen asked- entirely too innocently in Skylor's opinion.

" _Father_!"

Chen laughed. "Generally speaking."

"I haven't seen him since his party arrived so I don't know him well enough to form an opinion. He seems nice... but at the same time he walks as one who carries a great weight."

"Which could be from being a Primary Elemental Master." Chen mused. "We haven't known one before to adequately understand how such power might affect them."

Skylor quietly disagreed. Amber was considered a secondary Element so Skylor was used to people placing certain expectations on her for that, even more so with her being the princess, but the heaviness in Cole's eyes didn't seem to just be from being a Master.

"I suppose it's possible."

If Chen picked up on the doubt in Skylor's voice he didn't comment. Instead he looked deep in thought. "I would like you to hold off practicing Earth for now. The power it is capable of is astounding if he's causing region wide chaos without trying to. I'd like to know if any... unnatural phenomena are his doing and not yours."

In the business of preparing for the upcoming ball Skylor hadn't had time for any training let alone experiment with a powerful new Element. Though disappointed, Skylor nodded. It was a delicate balance but, realistically, if the Master of Earth were to lash out with his element she wouldn't be much use even if trained. The nerves in her arm tingled at the memory of the raw power that had come from his touch. Yet if he weren't in control of his actions wouldn't her having some control help mitigate any potential problems?

Whatever Skylor's opinion on training in Earth might be, Chen's pronouncement meant the matter was settled.

For the moment.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Your Highness, it came together beautifully."

Skylor, wearing her finest red dress, grinned at a purple clad Chamille. The two women stood side by side near the ballroom's main entrance admiring the sights around them.

A large crowd of men and women decked in their finest clothes intermingled. Domestic and foreign dignitaries had been invited, many of whom Skylor only knew of only by name but Chen insisted for her coming of age to widen the usual group invited for palace celebrations. To Skylor's surprise she even saw Clouse having an animated conversation with a man whose face was obscured from her current line of vision. Though the colors he wore matched those of the palace guards. Mentally shrugging, Skylor surveyed the room again.

Beyond the guests, red and gold banners hung between chandeliers dotted with candles. Warm firelight flickered off the walls covering everything in a golden sheen. The effect was breathtaking.

"Thank you, but all I did was coordinate it."

"Don't sell yourself short. It still took your brains to make this come to life."

Though Skylor let out a small scoff, a sense of pride rose within her. Organizing a party might not be the most important of royal duties, but she'd done it well all the same. Tapping came from the corner of the room and Skylor saw the orchestra conductor raise his baton. Lively music soon filled the room.

"Your Highness," Turning Skylor saw Cole standing near her side. For a formal occasion he was dressed rather simply in a tunic the same green as Trerian's crest. Yet the lack of finery suited him compared to the prancing peacocks that attempted to get Skylor's attention earlier in the evening. "May I have this dance?" Cole bowed.

"I'd be honored." Skylor curtsied rather than nodding in return. Technically speaking, Cole was the only one here equal to her rank.

Cole offered Skylor his hand and for a brief moment she hesitated, memory of the first time she'd felt his power coming to mind. But it wasn't like Skylor could refuse his gesture. Internally holding her breath Skylor took his hand. Nothing.

Well, that wasn't completely true. She could feel his power, like it was humming beneath his skin, but, since her Amber had already absorbed what it could, the Earth didn't overwhelm her senses. Releasing her breath slowly Skylor allowed herself to smile.

"Have you enjoyed your stay thus far? I'm sorry I haven't seen you since you arrived."

The music swirled around them, Cole and Skylor matching their steps to the beat.

"Think nothing of it. I know my visit was a surprise. The hospitality I've received has been more than generous considering the circumstances."

"Ouroboros has much to offer. I hope your stay will grant you the answers you seek."

Cole smiled and Skylor realized this was the first time he'd seemed genuinely happy in their brief encounters. "Thank you, Your Highness. Already the palace library has been a treasure trove of information. I look forward to continuing to explore possibilities with your father's advisors."

"Do you mind telling me what Trerian is like? I've read about it of course, but I'd love to hear about it from one of her countrymen."

Skylor felt tension relax from Cole's shoulders. "In my opinion it's one of the most beautiful places in the world. I'm sure you've read we're set in the Jakai Mountain Range. The peaks stretch beyond the clouds and everything is green for as far as you can see..."

During the next two songs Cole continued to describe his homeland. In his words and tone Skylor could easily see he loved Trerian, but she noticed he focused on the outlying regions, not his home in the capital city of Thyra. Before she could ask questions about city life the third song ended and Chen cut in.

"Thank you for entertaining the princess Prince Cole, but I believe it's time I had a dance with my daughter."

Cole's expression shifted from relaxed to blank so quickly that Skylor stared in surprise for a moment before realizing what she was doing.

"Of course, Your Majesty." Bowing deeply at the waist Cole left the pair.

Skylor watched him go, and noticed for the first time the stares many of the courtiers had been giving the two of them. Frowning slightly, Skylor watched most of the other guests either glare at or ignore Cole. For his part Cole didn't appear to notice and all too quickly he was swallowed in the crowd. Before Skylor could say anything the music resumed.

"My dear?"

Skylor turned her focus back on Chen. "I'm sorry, Father. I was just thinking. Now you said something about a dance?" She forced a smile.

"Indeed."

The tempo accelerated and Skylor lost herself in the music. When it was finished Chen gestured for a servant. Moments later a tray with two glasses was offered to the pair. Taking one Chen steered Skylor off to the side.

"I believe it's time to greet some of the other guests. There are dignitaries here I've been wanting you to meet for several years now."

Which would explain why many of the faces in the ballroom were ones Skylor was unfamiliar with. "Of course."

A young man with light brown hair and an easy smile approached them. He wore a crisp white shirt embroidered with a red lion that Skylor recognized as the Turner family crest. She shot a look at Chen but the king's face was impassive.

"Your Majesties." The man bowed. "Thank you kindly for the invitation."

"What better way to renew alliances than at celebrations?" Skylor narrowed her eyes at the tone in her father's voice. "It's been many years since we were graced with your family's presence Lord Griffin. I don't believe you've met Princess Skylor before."

Griffin held out his hand to Skylor. "My princess. You honor us all with your presence and grace."

Taking his hand Skylor felt the familiar zing of her Amber absorbing another Element. This time she did shoot a glare over Griffin's head at Chen. He could have at least warned her. And at the moment she didn't remember what Griffin's Element was- a key component in her actually being able to _use_ whatever Element she came in contact with.

Seeing the look on his daughter's face Chen stepped forward. "You remember that the Turner House is famous for racehorses and inventions to cut travel time."

_'Oh right, Speed.'_ Glancing around, Skylor eyed the other guests around her. Crest after crest denoted other Elemental families. _'Poison, Light, Plants, Gravity.'_ Specifically the ones that Skylor hadn't personally interacted with before. That might explain why Chen was adamant in being the one to oversee the guest list. But why not tell her that her birthday was a means of acquiring new Elements? Burying her irritation, Skylor forced a smile on her face as an older man in teal approached.

This was going to be a long night.


	6. Preparations and Plans Set in Motion

Clouse grit his teeth. Captain Pyth knew better than to approach him in public- and at the Princess's ball no less. He stalked to the edge of the ballroom with the captain following closely on his heels.

"What was so important you couldn't wait until later this evening to discuss with me?" Clouse hissed, his voice barely discernible above the din that surrounded them. "This is not what I meant when I said you needed to check in regularly with me."

"I'm sorry sir. It's the newest arrival. He's been more unruly than my men anticipated him being and we- we might have lost him."

"You. Did. WHAT?" Clouse barely restrained himself from screaming at the man, though his tone carried enough to earn him several sideways glances from the nearest partygoers.

The normally collected captain paled significantly. "He's still in the lower levels. He couldn't have made it back to the surface, especially since he has no way to know the way in or out."

"You'd better hope his lack of sight keeps you from lacking a head. Get down there and find him. I can't leave yet without drawing suspicion and you'd better hope you find him before I do."

"Yes, sir." Nodding his head Pyth hurried out of the room.

_'I'm surrounded by idiots!'_ Clouse seethed. If the Master of Sound escaped it would be disastrous for his plans. Not to mention alert the public of brewing plans. How in the world did they manage to lose a blind man?

Gritting his teeth Clouse walked back into the throng of people. Music swelled and Clouse didn't ask anyone to dance. No one asked him to either.

A stir ran through the crowd. It took Clouse a moment to pinpoint the source but he froze when he did- Princess Skylor and Prince Cole partnered together on the dance floor.

_'And a moment ago I only had a wayward Master of Sound to worry about.'_ The tertiary Elemental was nothing compared to the secondary Element of Amber, let alone a primary Element like Earth. Though he had many contingency plans in place, Skylor becoming close with a primary wielder could cause more trouble than he bargained for.

That would have to be dealt with. Subtly.

Frowning in thought Clouse didn't have time to process it further when a phantom pain pricked his palm. Someone had entered his quarters.

Lithely, Clouse stalked through the dancers. His presence had no further significance in the evening and Clouse held no fantasies that any of the nobles gathered would care to speak with him again. He would be free to deal with whoever was foolhardy enough to enter his chambers uninvited.

Other than an occasional guard the palace halls were silent as Clouse made his way to his room. _'To think anyone would try to sneak past me and my wards undetected.'_ Such was laughable, though Clouse never remembered being in a laughing mood in his life. Within three minutes of leaving the ballroom Clouse arrived at his destination.

He burst through the door, foregoing any pretense of subtly.

"Who dares-!" His enraged shout died out when he saw a falcon staring deadpan at him from the windowsill. "Humph."

Slamming the door behind him Clouse sent a bolt of magic at the bird. "You'd better have a good reason for abandoning your post."

For once Ronin really _did_ have a good reason. Clouse gave a feral grin when Ronin finished his report. Ronin took an unconscious step backward, the look on his master's face more terrifying than any of the times he blew up in anger.

"You have until first light to tend to your own devices. I'll give you your next mission then."

Clouse waved his hand and both of them melted into a plume of smoke. Seconds later they reappeared in the caverns. Ronin groaned quietly, but he'd long since adapted to the vertigo sensation that came with Clouse's preferred method of transportation. The constant vomiting in the first few months of his servitude had not been fun.

"First light," The magician reiterated. "Don't be late."

Rolling his eye Ronin disappeared down one of the corridors. Clouse's attention turned to his ingredients and potions. The eclipse was drawing ever near. With most of the Masters gathered in the palace, and now that Skylor's Amber had absorbed each guest's Element, the time for Phase Two had almost arrived.

Clouse looked at the staff and frowned. A couple low-ranking Masters disappearing here or there had been easy to keep from the general populous, but there would be no turning back once Phase Two was enacted. Even if the move didn't show all of Clouse's cards, it was still showing his hand to the people who currently went about their days in blissful ignorance. When mid-ranking lords (who happened to be Elementals) began to vanish, precautions had to be in place to keep the people from revolting.

He'd discuss such with Captain Pyth tomorrow. Assuming the man lived until then. If the Master of Sound wasn't caught Pyth was well aware of the consequences.

Shaking his head, Clouse turned back to the table. His next target would barely catch anyone's attention which, though he was loathe to admit, amazed him. What was with the primary Elements coming from such obscure backgrounds? One would have thought such powerful holders would be standing alongside the ruler of their respective nation, but no. All four would appear and disappear, dyssynchronous and quickly, throughout history. It was as if the Elements themselves wanted to remain hidden. Though one appearing in a foreign king's youngest son was more surprising than ones living in obscurity within Ouroboros itself.

And Lightning being the next one to be found... Clouse grinned again. From the sounds of Ronin's report not only could Lightning be the missing piece needed for Clouse's contraption, but the Master himself could prove an invaluable asset to the project as well- given the right motivation. The boy being an inventor was almost laughable, another unexpected gift of fate. And fate had been generous lately.

Almost as if hearing his thoughts there was a knock on his chamber door.

"Enter."

Pyth walked in, slightly red in the face, but with grim satisfaction. "We caught Sound sir. He hadn't made it anywhere near the entrance. My men are dealing with him as we speak. I'm confident he won't attempt such a stunt again."

"Good- for your sake. Be sure his antics don't spill into the others. I don't have time to deal with an attempted uprising right now."

"Sir." Pyth gave a brisk nod.

"Check the vengestone supply. I need forty sets of shackles in operable condition within the next two weeks."

"Forty?"

Clouse glared at Pyth. "Is there something the matter with that number?"

"No, sir. Just clarifying. The blacksmiths are always more difficult when forced to work with vengestone."

"Remind them of the consequences if they don't obey. My word is final. Dismissed." Clouse waved a hand at him and heard Pyth quickly leave the room.

Scowling Clouse returned to his work. Those people too easily forgot to be thankful they still had their lives- miserable as they may be. Many others who'd outlived their usefulness had been eliminated over the years. Perhaps some needed a reminder that they lived or died by Clouse's will. He'd ponder that later. Now he needed to focus on the best way to contain Lightning.

The Element was volatile by nature. Unpredictable. Few notes and experiments existed from anyone who studied naturally occurring lightning. Many who'd tried ended up electrocuted to death. With so little known about regular lightning, the Element Lightning had to be even more formidable. How much control the Master had over his Element could pose serious problems when he was cornered.

One of the few concrete facts Clouse found was that metal attracted lightning, and that a thick substance known as rubber helped dampen the lightning's effects. It'd be curious to see if Elemental Lightning behaved similarly to its natural counterpart. Luckily Clouse made it a habit to acquire the rare and obscure for his magic purposes. He had a large quantity of rubber sheets on hand. In the morning he would commission to be made into protective gear for the squadron sent after the Lightning Master.

Those wouldn't be ready for a few days, but it'd be wise to study the new Master before then anyway. Know thine enemy and all that. Not that Clouse would be on the field, but he would need his best men on this one and didn't intend to have to pick a new elite group any time soon.

Clouse set to work grounding ingredients for a sleeping potion. If everything went according to plan he'd need a substantial amount in the coming weeks. Not to mention it was one of the few effective ways to shut Ronin up.

As he worked Clouse indulged in imagination, picturing what it'd be like to wield Lightning. Or any of the Elements. Sure there had been a couple instances where he'd shot one of the contained Elements out of the staff, but that wasn't the same as feeling raw power coursing through his veins, becoming anything he wished it to be.

But if everything worked the way he planned he'd get that and more. Much, much more. There was only the pesky detail of surviving.

Energy couldn't be created or destroyed, only converted in form. Even the Elemental powers depended on the strength of their Masters to be utilized. The sheer amount of energy needed to contain all the known Elements would incinerate Clouse in his current state. As such he needed to find a way to increase his own body's capacity to hold such power.

Based on the ancient texts he'd found, there was one sure way. But it required a wish and a sacrifice. The latter portion was a conundrum he'd begun to puzzle through, but he needed access to the former before he could finish his theory.

A small chime interrupted his musings. Clouse looked up to see his time candle burnt out. The night had already passed. As if on cue Ronin stumbled through the doorway, his eye bloodshot but more alert than Clouse had seen in awhile.

"You're to watch the Lightning boy for the next couple days," Clouse began without preamble, "Report in nightly with what he's done, who he talks to and where he goes."

"No prince duty?"

"I don't think he'll be a variable for much longer. Here at the palace I have other people who can keep an eye on him. There's the matter of the boy's friend though. Keep him in your sights too, but your primary objective is Lightning."

"M'kay."

Sleep really did temper Ronin's mood. Clouse would have to consider allowing a little extra time for that, it made dealing with the surly man that much more bearable.

Clouse retrieved his staff, and in a cloud of purple the two men found themselves back in Clouse's quarters. He sent another burst of magic at Ronin and within a minute a brown falcon leapt off the windowsill and into the sky.

Now that Ronin was gone Clouse allowed himself to feel tired. It had been twenty-four hours since he slept last. Putting a sealing ward over his door, Clouse changed his clothes and settled into his bed. A few short hours would be enough to sustain him the rest of the day. There was too much work to waste time on sleeping.

Three hours later he awoke to a knock on the door. More sluggish than he'd prefer, Clouse rose and took down the spell surrounding his door. Irritated, he opened the door to see a young man in a guard's uniform.

"Morro," Clouse didn't bother to hide his disgust.

The feeling was mutual. "Captain Pyth said to report to you prior to breakfast."

Clouse swung open the door and beckoned Morro inside. "You're being reassigned to Prince Cole's guard. A security detail of four is hardly fitting for a visiting prince staying within our walls."

"Because five men will make such a difference." Morro muttered, just loud enough for Clouse to hear.

"I believe having you will make all the difference. Report to me daily with the Prince's activities." Morro frowned, fiddling with the metal vambraces on his forearms. "Do I make myself clear, _guard_?"

"Yes, sir." Morro snapped.

"By the way how _is_ your father doing?" Clouse smirked at the way Morro clenched his fists. "I do trust he's recovering from his recent accident?"

"The prince was on his way to the dining hall when I came to your rooms. By your leave?" The question came out with biting bitterness.

Clouse gave a dismissive wave of his hand, watching with cold amusement as Morro stomped away. He turned to his wardrobe and selected an outfit. It was time to ready for another day of political scheming and drama. With most of the nobles returning home today it might not be terribly exciting, but who knew what a day could hold?


	7. Burning Questions and Frosty Receptions

Skylor sat cross-legged on the ground. Closing her eyes she focused on taking deep, even breaths. The sound reverberated in the empty training room. Skylor's eyes snapped open and she mentally reached toward Amber.

Her body shot upward, nearly crashing into the ceiling. Biting back an unprincess-like curse, Skylor reflexively brought up her arms to block her face, but in doing so she let go of Gravity. Natural gravity was quick to regain control.

A strangled yelp tore from Skylor's mouth just before she crashed to the mat. She lay stunned, fighting to get air back into her lungs. Several long seconds later she struggled to a sitting position. _'Note to self: Gravity is fickle.'_

And that was why she trained alone when she gained a new Element. The last thing she needed was to unintentionally hurt someone... and it decreased the witnesses to her less than graceful attempts at wielding. 

Closing her eyes, Skylor imagined herself gently cupping Gravity in her hands. Then, with another deep breath, she called for the Element. A slight breeze pushed her hair. Skylor tentatively opened her eyes. She was floating two feet above the floor. Her hold on Gravity wavered and Skylor plopped to the mat, but this time with a broad smile on her face.

Skylor continued to experiment with Gravity for the next couple hours. By the time a knock came on the door Skylor was able to hold herself stationary off the ground for nearly five minutes, and just over one minute when she bobbed up and down to various heights. She lay on the ground for another moment but the knock came again, more insistent. Groaning internally Skylor shakily rose to her feet. Her knees almost buckled but Skylor caught herself against the wall. _'I forgot how tiring learning a new Element was.'_ And she had four more to begin mastering- five when Chen took his ban off Skylor practicing Earth.

She swung the door open to see one of her maids. "Yes, Pixal?"

"Your Highness," Pixal hurried to curtsey, "I was sent to tell you the midday meal will be held in the royal dining room."

Which meant she and Chen would be eating with some of the guests- and that Skylor needed to make herself presentable. "Thank you." She turned to take one more drink of water and when she faced the door again she found Pixal looking around the room, almost expectantly. "Did you have another message you needed to deliver?"

Pixal's eyes widened. "No Highness. It's just, usually you're not training by yourself."

"He wouldn't be of much help with today's lesson, so I gave Captain Zane the morning off."

"I see."

Skylor raised an eyebrow. Was that disappointment in Pixal's voice? Pixal noticed Skylor's look and a light pink dusted her cheeks.

She hastily dropped into another curtsey. "If you'll excuse me, I must return to my chores."

Skylor nodded and Pixal hurried away. Letting out a small chuckle, Skylor gathered the rest of her training gear and began the trek to her room. She had noticed it was usually Pixal who was sent to end the morning spars. Apparently it had not been merely happenstance. Given Zane's warm (well as warm as Skylor had ever seen Zane) reception of her at the door earlier this week, Skylor suspected the feelings might be mutual. _'This should be fun.'_ Just because Skylor hadn't had any luck in her own love life didn't mean she would fault others for their success.

The walk to her room was largely uneventful. Most of their guests had left over the past two days and the remaining stragglers were set to depart that afternoon. While her party had been a hit, Skylor was glad for the pace to return to normal in the palace- or as normal as it ever was.

***********************************************************************************************

Skylor let the plastic smile fall from her face as she left the dining room. How Sir Bolobo had kept up such a long winded, one-sided conversation about desert plants was impressive- in a please get me out of here kind of way. Sadly Misako had been seated at the other end of the table, and appeared to fare much more amiably with Lord Griffin's company. Rubbing her temples, Skylor left the bustling room behind in search of somewhere quiet to regather her thoughts. Her steps took her to the library where it was sure to be quiet.

The large room glowed in a golden sheen as the sun streamed through the many vaulted windows. Stuffed shelves held numerous tomes filled with anything from botanical research to fairy tales to historical records. Skylor took a deep breath, the smell of parchment, ink, and wood wrapping around her like a blanket.

Wandering through the book cases Skylor made her way to her favorite table. Situated in the back corner, this particular table offered a measure of privacy- a place to think. When she rounded the corner she stopped short in surprise.

Prince Cole sat at the table, a rather large book lay open in his hands. Other than an blacked haired Ouroboran guard- that Skylor vaguely recognized- who stood at an unobtrusive distance, the prince was alone. He flipped the page, a small frown on his face

Getting over her surprise, Skylor drew close to the table. "You don't like what you're reading?" Cole shook his head, not even looking up as he continued to read whatever was written on the page. "May I ask why not?"

"I don't- I don't understand..." Cole's voice trailed off and he seemed to realize who he was speaking to. He shot upright out of his chair. "Sorry Your Highness, I was lost in thought."

Skylor waved away his worry and sat in a vacant chair while Cole returned to his seat. "It's okay. I've done the same during some of my studies. What are you reading?" Cole slid the book to Skylor. " _Elemental Masters Through the Ages_? I can see how that would be a dry read."

"No, it's not that..." Cole trailed off, flexing his hands. "I- this account is true?"

"As far as we know. There are several Elements that haven't been tracked well through time."

"But these- these powers are well known? They're an established way of life here?" Cole's voice cracked, in a desperate way Skylor thought.

Instead of answering, Skylor focused on Smoke. Her entire form flickered and she phased her arms through the table. Cole scrambled backwards with a yelp, nearly falling to the ground.

Skylor returned her body's composition to normal, trying hard to hide the smirk tugging at her mouth as Cole rightened himself. "I guess they don't have many Elementals in Trerian?"

"You could say that..." Cole fidgeted in his chair. "If anything, anyone who displays any... abnormal tendencies is believed to be consorting with black magic."

"Just like that? That's horrible!"

Cole shrugged. "That's just the way it's done at home."

Skylor gave an unladylike scoff. "Just because it's what's done, doesn't mean it's what _should_ be done. Elemental powers are passed down from generation to generation, just as hair or eye color is. While I can't speak for all the phenomenon that takes place in the world, those who wield the Elements are most certainly not black witches or warlocks- unless they choose to study it in addition to their Elemental craft."

"It- it comes from a parent?"

"Usually. I inherited Amber from my mother. However there are instances where a Master passes away without offspring. The details are hazy but either they are able to pass their Element to someone before they die, or the Element attaches to a new bloodline, because in all the years of Ninjago, only Creation and Destruction have completely ceased to exist among the people."

Cole remained silent, his eyes wide. Something Skylor couldn't decipher flashed in them.

"Are you okay?"

"I- I don't know... I think-I think I might-"

"Princess Skylor, Prince Cole?" Skylor and Cole both jumped. Neither had noticed Chamille walking to their table. "My apologies Highnesses. I didn't realize my presence was that terrifying."

Groaning, Skylor turned to her friend. "We didn't hear you is all."

Chamille raised an eyebrow and Skylor rolled her eyes. "I see. Well I am sorry for interrupting but I was told that King Chen has gathered several notable scholars in his personal meeting room to discuss Prince Cole and Trerian's predicament." Cole perked up at Chamille's words. "He apologizes it's taken this long for the meeting to be called."

"He has no reason to be sorry. I did show up unexpectedly."

Skylor rose, intending to lead Cole there herself, but Chamille caught her arm. "I'm sorry but there is another matter your father asks you to attend to."

"But-"

Chamille grimaced. "The King was adamant. Morro will take Prince Cole to the meeting while I will escort you."

Frowning, Skylor could only nod. A direct order from Chen was not only an order from her father, but also an order from her king.

Cole seemed to understand. Being a fellow royal he had most certainly experienced the same. He turned and gave Skylor a small bow. "Thank you for your help Princess. I have much to think over. Though perhaps we could continue our conversation at a more convenient time?"

"After the evening meal I plan to return here to brush up on my knowledge of Ouroboron law."

Nodding, Cole rose. "Assuming I am able, I'll meet you back here this evening."

Before Skylor could respond, Chamille gestured to Morro. He joined the group and Chamille gave him the king's instructions. Promptly Morro escorted Cole from the room. Skylor watched them go with a frown on her face.

Last week Chen had wanted Skylor to confirm Cole was a primary Elemental, and now he didn't want her at the meeting where they were probably going to explain to Cole what that meant? There were many times Skylor didn't understand her father's choices, but this time was taking the cake.

"And what did Father want me doing rather than participating in an important meeting with a foreign dignitary?"

"Sarcasm does not look good on you, Princess."

Skylor sighed. "Sorry. I know it's not your fault, though the question still stands."

"If you'll follow me."

"Chamille!"

"Sorry. We're heading to the stables."

 _'I don't see how anything in the stables is more important than the meeting with Cole.'_ Skylor thought sourly. But she kept any further complaints to herself. Chamille seemed to pick up on Skylor's unsaid frustration and didn't try to engage Skylor in conversation as they walked.

They emerged outside into the bright afternoon sun. The stables were set behind the palace. A covered walkway stretched between the two buildings. As Skylor approached the barn she saw a carriage prepared.

"Chamille, what's going on?"

"Sorry dear," A new voice cut in, "I had asked to be the one to explain to you."

Skylor spun to face Misako. "My Lady! I must admit I am a bit lost as to what is going on here."

"Since I plan on staying in the capitol city for now, I spoke with your father about ways I can be of service. After some discussion it was decided that a fresh set of eyes on the infrastructure of the markets and shipyard could be beneficial. So I've asked that you be the one to show me the areas, since you are familiar with how they are run. The King granted me clearance today since he is engaged in other projects."

As far as excuses went this was a pretty good one, but Skylor suspicion of Chen's motives remained. Still, extended time with Misako was a gift that Skylor didn't plan to waste. With a growing smile Skylor joined Misako in the carriage. To her surprise Chamille didn't climb in, but instead waved to them as a footman closed the door.

"Did you have anything in particular in mind that you wanted to address?"

"I have a few things that I've been mulling over, but I won't really know until after I see what is currently in use."

Skylor nodded and their conversation drifted to other topics. The trip to the docks flew by in a blink and Skylor nearly lurched with surprise when the carriage came to a halt.

"It seems we've arrived."

Smoothing out her dress, Skylor exited the carriage to the busy road. Four guards, two before and two behind, fell into step with the women and they began to make their way down the road.

Booths and shops lined the street. People crowded together in the open air, though a respectful distance had appeared between the people and Skylor's entourage. Ships lined the harbor as far as the eye could see with goods of all kinds coming down the gangways.

"Most of our commerce is centered here to make it easier on the merchants. Different guilds are housed in those buildings," Skylor gestured to a row of stone structures a few blocks from the docks, "and they help mitigate the various goods that come into port."

Skylor suddenly bristled. Though she knew as the princess many people would be watching her, she could feel someone's eyes on her in what she could only describe as a 'heavy' way. She looked around but there were too many people to determine where the weighted gaze was coming from. Moving from the people to the booths Skylor continued her visual inspection. One booth, set back in the shadow of its adjacent building, caught her eye but it looked abandoned. Shaking her head Skylor continued to show Misako the details that made up the port.

By the time Skylor finished her exhaustive tour Misako had more than enough ideas to start developing. The ride back to the palace was spent discussing how one aspect might benefit areas without causing upheaval to the statues that were already in place. Though this project was Misako's, Skylor still felt a rush of pride at being able to help brainstorm ways to better help her people. It felt a lot more productive than hosting nobles at the palace. The two continued their conversation through the afternoon and Skylor was surprised to look out the window and see the sky turning a brilliant red.

"I'm so sorry Misako I hadn't realized how late it had gotten."

Misako smiled. "I hadn't either. I've kept you for long enough dear. I'm sure you have other things you planned on attending to today."

"Actually there wasn't much, but I did promise Prince Cole I'd meet him back in the library this evening."

"Oh?"

Skylor couldn't help but roll her eyes. "It's nothing like that." Skylor wasn't sure how much Misako knew about Cole's Elemental powers, or how much Chen wanted confirmed, so she chose her words carefully. "He came seeking information about the Elemental Masters and since I am one, and am well versed in our history, I offered to discuss it more with him. He had a meeting with Father's scholars today though, so I'm not sure if there will be any further questions he needs answered."

A fond smile grew over Misako's face. "Garmadon always told me his family was said to be descended from the First Elemental Master. He said there were whispers of power unlike any other that was there, waiting for the right descendant to resume the mantle. I know he secretly hoped it would manifest in his lifetime, but..." Misako trailed off. Skylor didn't know how to respond, so she opted for a gentle hug. That snapped Misako out of her memories. "Go on. I hope the answers that are needed come to you both."

On her way to the library Skylor mused over Misako's parting words. She hadn't thought that she was one in need of answers, at least not that Cole could supply, but maybe Misako wasn't referring to questions about the Elements. Mentally shrugging Skylor wove between the bookshelves until the table came into view. To her disappointment Cole wasn't there.

 _'Are they still in the meeting? Has Cole come and gone? Or did he forget?'_ Though Skylor couldn't fault him if indeed he forgot since she herself nearly had. Still, Cole didn't seem to be one to take his word lightly. _'He might show up.'_ So Skylor pulled out a book and settled into her favorite chair.

She tried to focus, she really did, but all the words blurred together on the pages as Skylor constantly glanced up at any noise to see if it was Cole. The light in the room dimmed with the setting sun and Skylor busied herself lighting a couple candles before returning to her seat. When her candle had burned away three-fourths the wick, she finally admitted to herself that Cole wasn't coming back to the library. Somewhat peeved she left the library.

 _'What happened?'_ Granted it was plausible the meeting was still in session since she'd not seen Chen all day, but she couldn't imagine her father being in a meeting lasting this long. Despite being the king, his patience was not particularly notable. But where were they?

The palace felt eerily silent. Shivering Skylor called on Smoke and teleported to her room. Though midnight had come and gone, Skylor tossed and turned in her bed. Something felt off, though she couldn't put a name to what or why.

It was a long night.

***********************************************************************************************

The next morning Skylor woke with a raging headache. _'Oh, ow.'_ She rubbed her head, grimacing as stabs of pain assaulted her temples. _'Okay. Not training this morning.'_ Groaning Skylor forced herself out of bed. No breakfast tray awaited her and Skylor realized it must have been earlier than she initially thought. _'Guess I'm eating in the kitchens this morning.'_

After a quick meal of muffins and fruit Skylor decided to see if Cole was up. It might not have been completely in keeping with the general rules of propriety to visit the wing where he and his men were staying, but Skylor's curiosity was running too high to let the matter wait any longer. Yet when she arrived at the rooms housing the Trerians the doors were open, the beds stripped, and not a person was in sight. _'Perhaps the staff is doing all of their laundry at once?'_ Though plausible, Skylor highly doubted it was likely. She continued to wander the halls, but only the occasional staff member passed her by.

Eventually she saw Clouse walking in the direction of Chen's office. Skylor had little doubt Clouse had been present in the meeting yesterday, but she knew the man wouldn't give her any details about it. Still he stayed freakishly informed on most of the palace inhabitants' comings and goings so he would be a good source of information as to where the Trerians went.

"Clouse!" He continued on his way, giving no sign he'd heard Skylor's call. Ditching decorum Skylor pulled Sound into her voice. " **Clouse!** " He and anyone within a hundred yards heard her that time.The man turned, his nose curling slightly.

"Yes, Your Highness?"

"Where is everyone?"

Clouse raised an unimpressed eyebrow. "I was under the impression you were aware all the guests- sans Misako- left yesterday."

Taking a deep breath, Skylor ignored the bite in Clouse's words. "I know the rest of the nobles planned on leaving yesterday. To be more specific I should ask, where is Prince Cole and his retinue?"

Clouse resumed his walk. "He also left yesterday."

That froze Skylor in place. "Prince Cole left?"

Clouse continued walking. "Was I not clear?"

Gritting her teeth Skylor matched her pace once more with Clouse. "I was not told he'd be leaving so suddenly. As one royal to another, protocol dictates I partake in his sendoff."

"He obtained what he needed from our scholars and saw no reason to remain here any longer."

Skylor didn't want to admit how deep that sentence struck her. Though her interaction with the prince had been limited, she thought there had been an amiable bond between them. Enough of one that would warrant a proper goodbye at the very least and a discussion about his Element at best.

"I see." It was a total lie but Clouse didn't need to know that. "Thank you for informing me."

"Princess." With a barely perceptible head nod Clouse swept off leaving Skylor behind.

Frowning Skylor drifted toward the courtyard. Maybe the stable hands would know more. But to her disappointment everyone she talked to told a similar story- when they went to bed the Trerian horses were in the barn, but all were gone come morning. _'How did no one hear anything?'_ Even Chamille, who prided herself in keeping in touch with all the palace gossip, claimed ignorance in the matter. That left one person left to ask but, though she searched all morning, Chen was nowhere to be found.

 _'This is ridiculous!'_ Skylor knew the matter shouldn't bother her as much as it did, but something just felt off about the whole thing. Returning to her room Skylor stared out her window. From the second story she could see the tops of buildings over the large wall lining the palace grounds. _'There is another way...'_

She didn't have any required appearance that she knew of for the rest of the day and, given her training regimen, it was no longer strange if Skylor disappeared for long periods of time. Skylor's stomach immediately clenched at the thought while her mind continued to run with the idea. _'It would also be a good way to field test Gravity...'_ Not to mention reckless, stupid, and unbecoming for the Princess and Heir to the throne. Yet that same feeling that screamed something was wrong seemed to pull her toward the window. _'I am so going to regret this.'_

Only if she got caught.

Before Skylor's rational side could talk her out of her idea, she changed into a clean set of her training apparel. The leather jerkin and split skirt over leggings would draw much less attention than anything else in her closet. A brown scarf would serve both as protection from the sun, and from prying eyes. Skylor was not so naïve to think there wouldn't be those in the city who would take advantage of a woman traveling alone, let alone if they found out she was the princess. The knife strapped to her belt might deter some of them.

Using Smoke Skylor teleported to the ground outside her window. She kept her appearance hazy in an attempt to keep herself indistinguishable from anyone who might glance her way. When she reached the wall Skylor stopped and looked up. The wall rose nearly fifteen feet ( **4.6m** ) above her, a good six feet higher than the ceiling in the training room. Taking a deep breath Skylor dropped Smoke and called to Gravity. She shot upward, wobbling unsteadily the whole way, but she managed to clear the wall without smacking into it. Her descent was a touch too fast and Skylor had to tuck into a roll to avoid any damage to her legs.

Not very pretty but it got the job done. Dusting off her clothes, Skylor hurried away from the wall before a guard got too close. From there Skylor slipped into the streets.

Whatever the unease was that hung over Skylor appeared to have spread to the general populous as well. Though the roads were still full of people, most were going about their business with their heads down. Whispers Skylor didn't quite understand circled around her and she saw many people casting suspicious looks to those around them. Shoving down her worries, Skylor made her way to the western market.

Even if Cole had been supplied by the palace storehouses he would still have to travel this route to go home. Someone must have seen something. Pretending to browse the booths Skylor tried to gauge the willingness of those around her to engage in conversation. Given the worry that hung over the market like a cloud she wasn't that hopeful, but Skylor hadn't come all this way for nothing.

The first two merchants she tried were friendly enough, but as soon as Skylor began to ask about the Elemental Masters their demeanor changed completely and they all but told Skylor to move on. After the third woman literally shoved Skylor away, she became discouraged.

The crowd swelled suddenly before closing around her. Skylor bristled at the close contact. Other than for sparring purposes most people gave her a wide berth, and being around so many people did have an oddly suffocating feeling to it. Skylor was just about to consider using Smoke again when someone's hand brushed hers.

Skylor's vision went red and she clenched her jaw to keep from screaming. It felt like she had just stuck her arm in the fireplace but her whole body felt hot, like she had spontaneously contracted a fever. Her knees wobbled and Skylor had to grab hold of the nearest wooden post to keep from falling over. Indistinct words filtered in and it took several moments to realize someone was talking to her.

"-lady, hey lady what gives?"

Skylor blinked owlishly and looked around. The merchant who's booth she'd just used as support glared at her, his large hands curling into fists. Ignoring him for the moment, Skylor looked behind her to see what- or who- had caused such a reaction. However with the crowd moving and swarming it was impossible to know what just happened. It almost felt like her Amber had been activated, but that was impossible... and without knowing the Element- if in fact in the extreme off chance that _was_ an Element- Skylor couldn't call it to manifest.

"Seriously lady. If you're not buying, get out of here!"

The man's throaty voice snapped Skylor back to the booth. "I-" Her voice cracked and Skylor cleared her throat, "I'm sorry, sir. I'm not sure what came over me."

"Well take care of it somewhere else. I don't need you ruining my business."

A few of the nearest passersby shot curious glances in their direction. One brown-haired man who'd been looking at the table hurriedly backed away.

Skylor tiredly shook her head. "I'm sorry. It was an accident. Have a good day."

She turned to walk away when the man's deep voice suddenly shouted, "Stop right there thief!" Skylor ignored him and continued on her way. She felt movement behind her right before the man caught her wrist and swung her around.

"How dare you steal from me!"

Frozen in shock Skylor could only stare up at the red-faced man, gaping. "I'm sorry. What?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/n- Plot is happening and I am so excited for what happens next.... until next chapter :)


	8. Expected Trips and Unexpected Visitors

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Longer chapter but I didn't want to split anything up. *sing song voice* 🎶 Hope you enjoy 🎶

Kai ran a hand through his hair, grimacing at the dirt that fell out with the action. Living in the desert meant putting up with its sandstorms but that didn't make them enjoyable. And having a room without window panes meant waking up to the wind and covered in sand. With a sigh Kai stepped away from Jay's apartment, making his way to the docks. Normally he and the others didn't crash at Jay's for longer than one night, but in the couple days since Princess Skylor's ball an odd mood had descended over the city.

People were jumpy and Kai had seen several fights start randomly in the markets. It had gotten to the point that Kai secretly feared leaving Nya and Cade home alone. Not that he would _ever_ tell Nya that, but, after speaking privately with Jay (who agreed with Kai), neither Nya or Cade objected to the offer of an extended stay at the inventor's.

However, four people in the small space was almost enough to make Kai scream. So this morning he'd slipped out at dawn and headed for the docks. Hopefully any newcomers to port wouldn't be as uptight as the city inhabitants. Kai hadn't been able to flinch anything the day before since people were so on guard.

He wove through the growing throng of people. In the whispered comments around him Kai heard the newest gossip: Sir Bolobo didn't seem to have made it home. Shuddering internally at the thought of something- or someone- strong enough to take out an Elemental Master Kai stepped up his pace. Soon he arrived near the docks. He kept his head low, trying to avoid being seen. However when a group of four guards came his way, Kai slipped down a side street and began to double back the way he'd come. Glancing over his shoulder to see if the guards had turned, Kai plowed into someone.

"I'm sor-" The words died in his throat and were replaced with a glare. "What in the world are _you_ doing here?"

Cade grinned sheepishly up at him "Surprise?"

Kai grabbed him by the arm and all but dragged him away from the bustling main street. "Cade I've told you a million times you are _not_ to come here!"

"But I've been stuck in the house for three days! And I didn't know you were coming here."

"You were following me without asking! Of course you didn't know where I was going!" Cade didn't have a comeback for that one. Kai inhaled a sharp breath. "Okay, we're leaving now."

"But we just got here! We can't go back empty handed."

"Cade it is too dangerous here-"

"He's right you know." Both boys jumped and whipped around.

A weasley looking man with greasy brown hair stood between them and the entrance back to the main street. Kai glanced behind them to see two more large men closing in quickly. Fighting against the panic rising in his chest Kai tried to keep his outward appearance calm.

"What do you want? We're not looking for trouble."

The small man laughed. "Oh really?" He stepped forward, his face no longer obscured by shadows.

Cade suddenly squeaked and clung tighter to Kai. Kai didn't think much of it until the man pushed up his sleeves. The early morning light caught on a blue tattoo wrapped around his forearm. A blue cobra.

_'Oh no.'_ Kai shifted slightly to keep himself between the man and Cade. A sinking feeling in his gut warned him this wasn't going to end well. The three men pressed closer.

"What do you want?" Kai tried again.

"What do you want?" The man's voice cut like glass on the pavement as he mocked Kai's question. "You come inta 'r streets and ask what we want?" He laughed and stepped closer. Kai felt Cade move behind him and Weasel Face froze.

"Well what have we here? Iffin' I didn't know no better I'd say he looks an awful lot like Skandar's missin' kid. Course it's been awhile."

The sudden nails digging into Kai's back told him Cade understood Weasel's reference. Though Kai didn't need Cade's reaction to know this had just gone from bad to worse.

"Get 'em."

Kai didn't have time to think before the two goons jumped him. He twisted to the side, but Cade's weight made his reaction slower. Ugly Number One managed to clip Kai's side. Kai stumbled, Cade still hanging on to him. The weight of the younger boy threw the both of them to the ground. Before Kai could get up one of the guys grabbed his neck. The next instant had Kai choking in a headlock.

"Let me go. Let me go!" Cade screamed.

Kai couldn't see what was happening, but the terror in Cade's voice made him thrash harder.

"Well whaddya know. He is the missin' brat! Ooo Skandar was angrier than an adder when saw you'd done disappeared on him. He's gonna be so excited to see you again. Said no one's been as fun to play with as you were."

"No! Please-" Cade's plea was cut off with a sharp crack. A cry of pain immediately followed.

_Cade's_ cry of pain.

Something inside Kai snapped. In the red hot haze of anger Kai didn't stop to think, he just reacted. In a blink of an eye the man who'd been holding him was screaming in pain on the ground. Kai didn't even notice, but whirled on the man holding Cade. Ugly Number Two had Cade's arms twisted behind his back while Weasel was yanking Cade's head back by his hair. Pain and fear shone in Cade's eyes and a red mark, in the shape of a hand, could be seen on his cheek.

"Let. My. Brother. GO!" Screaming, Kai launched himself at the men.

Again he wasn't quite sure what happened but in a matter of moments both men lay rolling on the ground screaming obscenities at him. Kai didn't stop to try and figure out what happened- though it looked like two of the men's shirts were smoking?- but he grabbed Cade and the two sprinted from the alley.

They didn't slow until they had reached Jay's. Stumbling inside Kai slammed the door behind them and both boys collapsed, breathing heavily.

"What- what- what?" Cade couldn't get his sentence out.

Kai shook his head. "I don't know. I don't-" He broke off and shook his head. "Are you okay?"

"I-I-" Cade started shaking. Tears pooled in his eyes and spilled down his cheeks.

"Cade?" Hurrying to his side, Kai looked over the younger boy.

Heart wrenching sobs burst from Cade and he latched himself to Kai's waist. "I don't want to go back! Don't let them take me back!"

"I know Cade, I know." Kai wrapped his arms around Cade, resting his chin on the top of Cade's head. "They won't, I promise."

It was moments like this when he remembered how young Cade actually was. Even without knowing his exact age, the kid couldn't be more than ten. And to have to face some of the people who'd made the first few years of his life a literal hell...

Kai held Cade until the younger boy slowly stopped shaking. "You're my brother Cade. Nya and I are going to make sure you stay safe."

Cade surprised Kai with, "How'd you do it?"

"Do what?"

"Get Mezimon off me? I don't remember what happened, but all of a sudden it got really hot and Mezimon's jerkface let go of me."

"I don't- I don't know. All I knew is that they were going to leave you alone if it was the last thing I did."

"The heat felt... safe I guess. I knew you were going to take care of everything."

A lump grew in Kai's throat and he coughed trying to clear it. "Of course I'm gonna take care of you- and Nya. Speaking of, how about we go see what Jay and Nya are up to, eh?"

Gently Kai helped Cade to his feet. Since neither Jay or Nya had come into the main room Kai doubted they were in the apartment. A quick glance in Jay's adjacent workroom showed they weren't there either. _'I wouldn't be surprised if they went out looking for Cade.'_ Which complicated matters since Kai was not about to leave Cade alone- because that boy was not going to leave the house for the rest of the day if Kai had anything to say about it- but they definitely needed to restock their stores. Kai internally debated what to do when the front door opened again.

Jay and Nya's pinched faces immediately relaxed at the sight of Kai and Cade, but just as quickly Nya scowled.

"Where did you go? We were worried sick!"

"Nya," Kai's tone was unusually sharp. He could see her gearing up to snap back but Kai subtly nodded toward Cade.

Her gaze followed Kai's action and she saw the tear tracks and bruises on Cade's face. Though she had no idea the whole story she immediately snapped her mouth shut. There'd be time for a lecture later.

"I think there's a little bit of soup left. Come on Cade, I'll heat it up for you." Nya took Cade's hand and led him into the kitchen.

"What did happen?" Jay asked in a voice barely above a whisper.

"Hypnobrai." Ignoring the wide-eyed look Jay gave him, Kai continued, "They cornered us, probably for being in their turf, then recognized Cade."

"This is not good."

"You're telling me." Kai ran a hand through his sweaty hair. "We've got to be extra careful now that they know he's still in the city. Even after five years the main guy figured out who Cade is. They didn't get my name but I won't be surprised if there's a mark put out for both of us."

"And they have eyes everywhere..."

"We'll head back to our place tonight and I'll figure something out. In the meantime he doesn't leave the house except to use the privy. I have to get back out there."

"Kai! You just said you have a target on your back!"

"Uh no, I said it's a maybe." Jay glared at Kai. "Look, we need to eat. I'd rather risk my neck and have you all safe than to waste away because we're too hungry to do anything else."

A scowl broke over Jay's face. "If I could just catch a break with my inventions we wouldn't need you 'risking your neck.'"

Sighing, Kai didn't disagree. "Keep at it. It's only a matter of time right?" Empty words but it was all he had at the moment. "I'm going to tell Cade that I'm heading out. See you later."

He walked toward the kitchen.

"-but if dragons aren't real why do we have so many legends about them?" Well it sounded like Cade had started to bounce back to normal.

"And there's legends of tiny rock trolls stealing socks. I highly doubt those are real-"

The conversation stopped when Kai poked his head in. "Cade, I have to make another errand. You and Nya will head back to our place before dusk okay?" He looked pointedly at Nya. She rolled her eyes but gave him a thumbs up.

Cade frowned at Kai's words before nodding reluctantly. Kai gave a- somewhat strained- smile to both his siblings and hurried out of the apartment. Returning to the eastern docks was a hard no-go, so Kai headed toward the western market. _'The more space the better._ ' He thought grimly.

Drifting through the crowd, Kai's hands worked by themselves to relieve passersby of their purses. However his thoughts kept running back to the altercation earlier. It didn't make sense. How had he bested three of the gang members? And what was that heat? Now that Kai had a moment to think he realized how powerful he'd felt in that moment. It had been like nothing could stop him. But what was _it_?

Kai shook his head. Food first, and sorting out these weird emotions later. Maybe never. That was an option too. Beyond the hypervigilant need to keep Cade safe, a part of Kai wanted to forget the whole thing. The other part he squashed down to a tiny box in his head. The questions there were too dangerous to dwell on.

Kai's hand brushed someone's and he suddenly felt fatigued, like he'd just run from one end of the market to the other. Confused he drifted back from the crowd toward the row of merchant shops. He pretended to browse the jewelry displayed when a loud thump came from nearby. Jumping he looked up to see a young woman leaning heavily against the side of the booth. The merchant stepped forward and started snapping at her, his back now to Kai.

Grinning at his luck Kai grabbed two bracelets and a necklace, sliding them up his sleeve. He hurriedly stepped back melting into the crowd and was about to move on when he heard,

"Stop! Thief!"

Kai ducked down a side alley but the shouting didn't get any closer. Puzzled, he looked back into the street. Dread rolled over him as he saw the man grabbing the girl who had almost fainted. While it was possible that she was also a thief, Kai figured the man noticed the missing jewelry. Now the woman was paying for his choices.

_'You could still get away scott free...'_ A little voice whispered in his mind. Kai almost listened, but he looked back once more and saw the woman standing frozen. The man was holding her with one meaty hand and raising his other in a fist.

Kai made his decision. He hurried back to the table, deftly sliding the stolen goods back to their original position on the table.

"Clara there you are!" Both the merchant and woman looked at him, the woman with confusion and the man with anger.

"This woman belongs to you?"

Before Kai could answer, the woman snapped out of her stupor. Her face turned red and with a quick twist of her arm she broke the man's hold on her wrist.

"I would appreciate it if you didn't speak about me as if I weren't here. And that you would have proof before daring to accuse me of theft."

"You accused my sister of what?" Kai really hoped the woman would play along so they both could get the heck out of there. She shot him a sideways glance but didn't contradict his words.

"She," the man spat, "pretended to have a fainting spell and stole several pieces of-" the man turned back to the table and his jaw visibly dropped. Everything was where it was supposed to be. "I don't- but she-" He broke off and studied Kai. "Don't I know you-?"

"You better watch your accusations." The woman interrupted and glared at the merchant before spinning on her heel, stalking towards Kai. "Come _brother_ , our presence is not wanted here." She dragged Kai back toward the ally and Kai couldn't help be surprised at the strength at which she pulled him.

Away from prying eyes she let go of Kai and crossed her arms. This close Kai could see she was younger than he'd initially thought, probably around his own age. She also had the most captivating amber eyes he'd ever seen.

"I would say thank you for intervening but why do I have a feeling you were the cause of it in the first place?"

Kai snapped out of his thoughts. Direct and to the point. Okay. He could roll with this. "Because I used your dizzy spell as a distraction?" Oops. That didn't come out right.

But the young woman only rolled her eyes. "I figured as much. Thank you for your honesty. Now if you'll excuse me I really must be going."

"I'm sorry, I wasn't trying to get you in trouble."

"Thank you. And I really do need to go. I'm on a time sensitive errand."

"Anything I could help with?" The offer was out of Kai's mouth before he registered what he was saying. The woman raised an eyebrow at him and Kai shrugged. "It's the least I could do to make up for, uh, that." Kai gestured in the direction of the formally irate merchant.

She studied him for a long moment. "I suppose it couldn't hurt. But I will warn you if you try to take my purse I won't hesitate to have you turned over to the authorities."

"Understood. I'm Kai by the way."

A ghost of a smile appeared on her face and she extended a hand. "You can call me Sky."

Kai didn't miss the phrasing of her introduction, but he didn't push the point. After all, Tynan didn't know his real name- theoretically anyway. "What is it you're here for?"

"Information primarily."

"On what?"

Sky hesitated. "The guests of the palace."

Red flags rose within Kai. He might be a lot of things, but a potential risk to national security was not one of them. "For what purpose?"

To his surprise Sky let out a lilting laugh. "Nothing nefarious I assure you. There have been some strange goings on that I want to get to the bottom of." Her voice grew serious. "I- I want to ensure there's no budding danger within our borders."

She said it with such conviction that Kai's instincts believed her. "What about the guests?" Just because part of him started to trust her didn't mean he was a complete idiot. Though the weird fluttering in his stomach when she looked at him might say otherwise.

"I'm mostly wondering what routes home they took and if there's been news of their safe arrival home."

Kai still felt uneasy with the topic but slowly nodded. "Funny you should mention it, because there's been... rumors... that Sir Bolobo didn't make it home."

Sky jumped like she'd been shocked. "What?!"

"Nothing's been confirmed but a couple people claimed that his carriage up and disappeared between here and the Northern Pass. His home is two days from here so there's been no confirmation from the estate that he didn't make it, but it's spreading like a sandstorm anyway."

"This is so much worse than I feared." Sky's whisper didn't seem aimed at Kai so he waited. After a moment her eyes flicked back to Kai. "What of the foreign prince. Has he been sent on his way as well?"

"Uh maybe? If he did he didn't come this way. The market would be abuzz since it's not everyday we get royalty down here." Sky flushed and looked away, puzzling Kai since he didn't see anything to be overly upset about in what he'd just said.

"Even if it had been last night?"

Kai snorted. "No one goes out on the streets at night if they can help it 'round here. But even if it had been in the middle of the night everyone here would have known this morning."

"So you're sure the prince didn't come this way?"

"Uh, yeah."

"This is the fastest route back to Trerian if he didn't come this way could he have taken a longer route? But that wouldn't make sense..." Sky trailed off, her eyes glazed in thought. Kai stood there awkwardly, wondering if she was all there upstairs. Her amber eyes locked on to Kai again and he felt his breath catch. "You said you would help me. Can you think of likely routes that a party heading for the Sea of Sand would take?"

"Suuuuuure. Though I don't know why anyone would since the areas of town just get more shady from here."

Sky threw her arms up exasperated. "Exactly my thought. But I have to check them out anyway."

"Did you not hear a word I just said? Those areas are dangerous."

Sky drew herself upright. "I understand there is risk but for me it is well worth it. I won't ask you to come if you aren't comfortable doing so."

It took Kai a few seconds to answer. No, he really didn't want to overly risk his neck for someone he just met... but at the same time he'd never met anyone quite like Sky. And he couldn't let her go alone to places he knew would be dangerous- especially for a young woman. Although the dagger hanging from her belt didn't look ornamental.

"I know these streets better than anyone. I can get you there and back safely."

She gave him a brisk nod. "Then let's be off."

The next several hours brought nothing but more unanswered questions. Those who were willing to talk to Kai and Sky had nothing helpful to say. With each response Kai could see a heaviness weight Sky down further and further. After the fourth route had been struck down Kai cleared his throat.

"We're not too far from where I have some supplies stashed. There's not much but I have water and a little food if you want to take a break."

Sky sighed and wiped at the sweat gathering on her forehead. "I wouldn't say no to some water. I'm sorry this has turned out to be a wild goose chase."

"Believe me when I say I've had worse trips in the city."

_'Like this morning for example...'_ Shaking his head to force that thought away Kai started toward home. Sky seemed to have a lot on her mind so Kai didn't try to engage her in conversation. Her eyes came back into focus when Kai announced their arrival.

She looked up warily at the ramshackle, two-story building. Kai flushed slightly but knew she didn't know him and probably was going to remain on guard.

"I know it doesn't look like much but it's not going to collapse on us." Kai led the way inside.

Grabbing their water pitcher Kai filled two cups and offered one to Sky. She nodded in thanks, but Kai noticed she waited to drink until after he had taken a few sips from his cup. Once she finished her water Sky set down the cup and drifted to the windows.

"I'm sorry we couldn't find what you were looking for."

Sky stared out at the city. Fewer people filled the streets as the evening had grown long. The brownstone buildings glowed in the sunlight, and the keening of a falcon could be heard over the people below. She suddenly gripped the windowsill so hard her knuckles turned white.

"Sky?"

Sky jolted and let go of the windowsill. "I apologize. There is much I have to puzzle through and so far no one has been able to give me answers I need."

"If you don't mind my asking, why do you care so much? It seems like you're wasting your time. The nobles and royal house hardly care about us."

Sky's eyes narrowed, but she looked more confused than angry. "What do you mean by that?"

_'Do you not see what goes on out there?'_

"The king's guards spend more time bullying the people than protecting them. Tariffs and taxes have raised the cost of goods so that many of us can't afford to actually purchase anything. Much of what we produce goes to fund the lesser nobles extravagant lifestyles."

"What work options are available besides that for the merchants?"

Kai scoffed. "You're definitely not from around here." He waved his hand toward the dusty streets. "Trades run in families. If you don't have a family trade," Kai gestured vaguely around the room, "you're screwed. Even then, most people barely made enough to feed themselves, let alone pay someone else. And even if they could, thosearen't the type to dirty themselves by interacting with _street rats_." Kai's face darkened. "At least for anything other than entertainment or slave labor."

A green hue came over Sky's face. "I'm sorry."

Kai shrugged. "I've made do for myself and my siblings. If you don't know where you want to go, then it doesn't matter what path you take."

"Do you truly not know where you want to go from here?"

Kai opened his mouth, but promptly snapped it shut. She had him there. Even if in reality all he wanted to do was move up in the world- for Nya and Cade's sake.

"I'm sorry that was rather insensitive and it's not my business to pry into your personal affairs. Though I do hope the best for you and your siblings."

Speaking of siblings... Kai frowned and looked out the window again. Dusk was fast approaching and they weren't back yet. "They were supposed to be back by now. I'm not sure what's keeping them."

"Should we go look for them?"

Though he appreciated the 'we' in her question more than he'd ever admit, Kai emphatically shook his head. "As I said earlier, the streets here are not safe at night. And with you not knowing them or the way things work down here it would be more dangerous than helpful if you came with me."

Sky frowned, but didn't deny Kai's words. "Okay so what then?"

Kai began to pace between the window to the door. "They know to get to agreed places on time so something might have happened." He looked back outside to the rapidly darkening sky. "I'll give them a couple more minutes before I start looking for them."

A sharp screech came from the door hinges on the first floor followed quickly by the heavy thuds of rapidly moving feet. Kai's eyes widened in alarm and he ran back to the window.

"Oi there 'e is!" A rough shout rang through the night.

Kai stumbled back to Sky. "It's the palace guards!"

"What?! Oh no, this is bad."

"No time for words. Come on," Kai grabbed Sky's arm and rushed back to the window. He jumped onto the windowsill, attempting to pull Sky with him. She dug her heeling into the ground to hold herself back.

"Are you crazy??"

Kai glanced down at the road before looking earnestly into her eyes. "I need you to trust me."

She hesitated and studied Kai hard. The small, rapidly decreasing, logical portion of Kai's brain knew asking her to climb out of a second story window was not a normal request for first encounters, but if she was found with him the guards would take her into custody without asking any questions. She didn't deserve that.

After what seemed like an eternity Sky nodded resolutely.

"Alright, then jump!"

The fall didn't seem as rushed as Kai would have expected, but he didn't have time to wonder about that before they landed on a pile of hay strewn between the houses. Kai pulled Sky toward the back of the house while trying to calm his anxious heart rate. The guards jumping out of the shadows didn't help in that endeavor.

Kai turned back the way they'd come, but it was too late. Six guards surrounded the pair, effectively boxing them in. Shoving Sky behind him Kai faced the guards. His eyes caught on the purple insignia on the leader's chest and his heart thudded harder. Each captain had their own color designation but everyone in the city knew to fear the purple snake of Captain Pyth.

"Seems we finally cornered some of the vermin polluting our streets." Pyth sounded almost bored. "Given the number of complaints I had expected a more exciting chase. Pity." He raised his sword at the pair. "Get them."

Just because they were cornered didn't mean Kai would let the guards off easily. He ducked under the first guard's punch and quickly swept the man's legs out from under him. Kai turned to the next guard, barely dodging to the side in time to avoid being skewered by an outstretched sword. Stepping in close he aimed a kick at the man's hand. His sword flew to the ground. Sky grabbed it and ran into the fight.

"What," Panted Kai, "are you doing?"

"Saving your hide!"

And doing a fairly good job of it too. Kai didn't hide his amazement as she disarmed two more guards' weapons before round kicking one in the head and the other in the chest. Both were down for the count. Mesmerized as he was he momentarily forgot his own peril... until a sword point dug into the small of his back. With a surprised yelp Kai attempted to run but strong hands grabbed his arms and threw him backwards. He landed on his back with a sword inches from his chest.

"Hold!"

Pyth's voice rang with such authority that Sky hesitated in her swing. The remaining guards jumped at the advantage. Sky was on her knees with a blade at her throat in a matter of seconds.

Harsh chuckles filled the ally as Pyth looked at his downed prey. "So the street rat's found another mouse to keep him company. Did you tire of the other ones?"

Kai snarled at the captain, though it was more to hide the fear welling within him. Had Pyth or the guards done something with Cade and Nya? Kai had tried so hard to keep them from being associated with himself in case something like this were to ever happen. Apparently it hadn't been enough. He'd failed them, and Sky.

From his vantage point he could just see her face in the waning light. To his surprise she didn't look scared. If anything she seemed livid. Pyth noticed as well.

"What have we here? The start of a new cohort of thieves? Or something else?" Pyth made a lewd gesture. Kai writhed on the ground wanting to punch his smug face. Pyth turned to face him. "Didn't like that, huh? Well I'll tell you what I don't like, having to waste my time and deal with riffraff. But don't worry I'll teach you a lesson you won't soon forget."

He raised his sword and motioned for the guards to lift Kai. Roughly they jerked him to his feet, simultaneously twisting his arms behind his back. Pyth stalked forward with an evil glint in his eye. Kai clenched his jaw, trying to steel his nerves for what was about to come.

"Enough Captain, release him at once!"

Both Kai and Pyth snapped their attention back to Sky. She had somehow managed to floor her guard and stood almost regally.

"Who do you think you are?" Pyth shouted as he took a step towards her.

" **You heard me** **_Captain_**." Her words boomed. "Release him, by order of the princess." With a flourish she pulled the scarf off her head allowing the guards to get a good look at her for the first time. There was a collective gasp and almost as one the guards bent in a deep bow, the brutes holding Kai forcing him down with them.

"Y-your Majesty, fo-forgive me!"

Kai didn't know if anyone had ever heard Pyth's voice so fearful before. He might have enjoyed the scene more if his own feeling of shock wasn't so potent. Sky, Sky _lor_. Man, he was an idiot. To be fair he wasn't ever expecting to run into the princess, but still...

"Is this how you deal with the citizens of Ouroboros you are sworn to _protect_?"

"He's a known criminal Highness. We've had orders for his arrest for a long time now."

Sky- _Princess Skylor_ \- raised an unimpressed eyebrow and Kai's heart clenched. Why wouldn't she take the guard's side? He internally winced when he thought of their earlier conversation. He'd practically insulted her family and then just made her jump out of a window. Whatever punishment the guards had been planning was going to be so much worse now...

"Even if that's so there's no need for the display of violence I just saw- and had to defend _myself_ from."

Kai could tell he wasn't the only one surprised by her words. Though a healthy dose of fear also showed on Pyth's face. He had just, inadvertently, ordered an attack on the Crown Princess and insulted her honor.

"I beg your forgiveness, Highness. Because of his slippery nature we were told to use whatever force necessary. This _vermin_ ," he grabbed Kai's neck and shook him roughly, "has been well known to avoid the law of the land."

"Oh because you're so much better." Kai muttered, not particularly quietly.

Pyth released his grip on Kai's neck only to jerk his head up by his hair. "You will regret those words."

" **Captain**!"

Pyth quickly let go of Kai.

Princess Skylor glared at him. "It seems you need to spend more time with your regulations handbook. Any physical attack implemented after a suspect has been apprehended is strictly forbidden. And it is the commanding officer's responsibility to positively identify the suspect in custody so as not to perform an inaccurate arrest of anyone caught in the crossfire." Princess Skylor spoke almost in rhythm, as if she was reciting the law word for word. "Additionally I order that you release Kai and turn him over to my custody. It's already been shown you are not impartial in his case."

"With all due respect, Your Highness, I can't."

"You dare refuse a direct order from the royal family?"

Pyth visibly swallowed. "Only when it conflicts with that of another."

"Explain." Princess's Skylor's word lashed like a whip.

"Master Clouse, by proxy order of the King, personally commanded his arrest."

Kais blood ran cold. His less than legal exploits had made it to the _king's_ ears? He was so dead. Though what hurt most was the fact Nya and Cade wouldn't know what happened to him...

The princess's eyes narrowed. "I will be speaking with my father and his _proxy_ about this, but you will not harm him in the meantime."

"Of course, Your Highness." Pyth bowed again.

Glaring at all the guards, Princess Skylor made an impatient motion with her head. "Lets get home and get this sorted."

The group fell into formation but the captain's eyes, glittering with anger, locked on Kai's restrained form. Despite what the princess said, Kai suspected the captain's barely restrained wrath would land on him before the night was over...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've had part of this chapter written since I started planning out the whole story *insert giddy fangirling* I really wish we got more Kailor in canon but at least we can see the ship sail in fanfiction 😏


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